In a joint statement issued on 18 December, WCC and AACC observe that the political crisis in Burundi “has latterly been marked by brutal violence, targeted attacks, extrajudicial killings, severe oppression and the incitement of communal tensions”.

”We appeal to the government and political leadership of Burundi to step back from the path of violence onto the path of peace”, the statement reads, and then calls for “responsible leadership that does not tolerate complicity in the killings and other serious violations now so obviously prevalent in the country”.

“In this Advent season, in which we await the nativity of the Christ Child, the Prince of Peace, we pray that all those who now espouse violence and division in Burundi will learn and pursue the things that make for peace in this wounded land”, the statement concludes.