US ends sanctions program on Burundi, noting reforms

By ELOGE WILLY KANEZA
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United States has ended a sanctions program for Burundi, saying circumstances have changed in the East African nation several years after a bloody political crackdown. The U.S. says sanctions and visa restrictions on 11 people designated under the program have been lifted, reflecting President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s “pursuit of reforms across multiple sectors over the past year” including economic ones. Ndayishimiye was elected last year after the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose decision to run for another term in 2015 led to protests and the deadly crackdown. President Joe Biden’s executive order ending the sanctions program noted “significantly decreased violence” in the country.