AU names Burundian president special envoy for Sahel region

Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye was appointed on Thursday, July 17, as the African Union's special envoy for the Sahel.

His mission will focus on enhancing dialogue with governments and working towards restoring peace in the Sahel, where three countries—Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—are suspended from the organization due to unconstitutional government changes amid jihadist threats.

The Burundian president quickly responded on X, expressing his acceptance of the "noble mission" entrusted to him with "humility and responsibility."

According to a diplomatic source in Bujumbura, his appointment as the African Union's special envoy for the Sahel rewards his efforts to lift Burundi out of the isolation imposed by his predecessor.

Deeply involved in regional and continental organizations, Évariste Ndayishimiye is currently the chairperson of Comesa, a champion for youth within the African Union, and the first vice-president of the organization.

Consequently, he will automatically assume the leadership of the African Union in February next year.

"This is one of the reasons the Angolan president appointed him," explains an African diplomatic source. "He will have more freedom to effectively carry out his mission," the source added.

A president without a history in the Sahel region

Another reason mentioned is that the AU has recently decided to appoint heads of state to address specific crises.

This is the case for the Togolese president regarding the crisis in eastern DRC. It was also necessary to select a president without a history in the Sahel region.

João Lourenço chose Évariste Ndayishimiye, with whom he shares genuine affinities, particularly because he is a military figure.

"He will be able to speak on equal terms with the leaders of the Sahel States Alliance," highlights another diplomatic source.

Finally, these same sources claim that the Burundian president received "active but discreet support" from the French Emmanuel Macron, whom he met in June on the sidelines of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, in the south of France.