This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
Published on November 19, 2021, the US has lifted sanctions imposed on Burundi since 2015, following a significant decrease in violence after the 2020 elections.
More than 1,000 people died and many others were injured during the 2015 political crisis in Burundi, which saw security forces and top government officials accused of gross human rights violations.
On November 22, 2015, the US issued an Executive Order declaring Burundi a national emergency, freezing properties owned by some government officials who were said to have played a role in the rights violations.
However, with the transfer of power following the 2020 elections significantly decreasing violence, US President Joe Biden signed an order terminating the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13712 and revoking that order.
US Ambassador to Burundi, Ms Melanie H. Higgins, met with Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye in Gitega just two days before the lifting of sanctions, and President Ndayishimiye has stated that relations with the US are improving.
Additionally, dialogue between Burundi and the European Union over lifting sanctions is at an advanced stage, and President Ndayishimiye is working to mend relations with neighboring countries, including Rwanda, and the rest of the international community.
