Senior Burundian diplomat Fred Gateretse Ngoga has resigned from the African Union Commission after 17 years, shortly after raising concerns about the treatment of Burundian nationals in Kenya.
Ngoga, who headed the AUC’s Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division, questioned why Burundian traders appeared to be heavily affected by Kenya’s crackdown on undocumented foreign traders. He also called for the protection of Burundian nationals before later deleting his post on X.
His comments came amid growing concerns among Burundians in Kenya, with hundreds recently seeking travel documents at their embassy in Nairobi amid fears of harassment and uncertainty.
The Kenyan government has insisted that its measures are aimed at regularising the status of undocumented foreigners rather than targeting any particular nationality. President William Ruto’s administration has also provided a 90-day grace period for foreigners to regularise their stay.
Ngoga later welcomed the government’s approach, calling it a humane response to irregular migration.
In his resignation statement, Ngoga expressed disappointment with the direction of the AUC, saying it had moved away from some of the principles on which it was founded. He did not directly connect his resignation to his comments about Burundians in Kenya.
Ngoga leaves behind a long career in African peace and security affairs, including service with the African Union Mission in Somalia.