Ruzizi III: Nkurunziza dodges European sanctions

摘要

Although the European Union set up ongoingrnsanctions against Burundian PresidentrnPierre Nkurunziza’s regime in 2015 andrnsuspended all direct help to the country, thern147 MW Ruzizi III hydropower plant that shouldrnbenefit Congo-K, Rwanda and Burundi is stillrnbeing backed by European credit facilities.rnIn late May, the European Investment Bankrn(EIB) committed to unblock new loans in thernfuture. These loans are to be used to financernworks at the dam while the Congolese andrnBurundian ministers of energy, respectivelyrnJean-Marie Ingele Ifoto and Come Manirakizarnas well as Rwanda’s secretary of staternfor energy Germaine Kamayirese, met inrnKinshasa on May 30. The trio committed tornhave the project completed by 2024. Alsornpresent at the meeting, the Burundian ministerrnof finance Domitien Ndihokubwayornstated that the project - one of the rare fewrnto still receive multilateral funds in the countryrn- had Bujumbura’s support.