The government of Burundi has yet to respond on whether or not it will welcome deployment of the African Union High Level Delegation to consult with it on the crisis in that country.

Burundi citizens are fleeing the country as the unrest continues in the country.

As President Pierre Nkurunziza remains defiant, thousands are fleeing the country and the death count continues to rise to gruesome statistics that the Burundians can happily do without.

The AU mission comes hot on the heels of the United Nations one which failed to persuade President Nkurunziza to agree to an inclusive dialogue and now a visit by a mission composed of his peers, five Heads of State is expected to convince him to share with others.

“This is a matter of human dignity and human rights. The longer the situation continues, the more people will be killed and affected, and we have almost one million people who have been affected, we cannot wait any longer,” says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

It is not clear what the high level delegation will put on the table to convince President Nkurunziza to change his mind. He has already turned down the deployment of about 5000 strong force to Burundi.

President Nkurunziza says this would constitute an invading force.

“We have told them that the government is following the constitution Burundi signed the international laws which we follow.”

Last year, months of talks between the government and the opposition failed to make progress and new negotiations that began in December in Uganda have already stalled.

“There is a clear call from many people in Burundi for outside help and for urgent mediation to get a political situation,” says US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power.

Nkurunziza’s re-election for a third term sparked the crisis which raised fears of an ethnic conflict in a region where memories of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide remains fresh