Obama to remove Burundi from trade program in response to third-term change and political crackdown

By Voice of America, 2 November 2015
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza is sworn in for a third term at a ceremony in the parliament in Bujumbura, Burundi, Aug. 20, 2015 (photo credit: VoA)
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza is sworn in for a third term at a ceremony in the parliament in Bujumbura, Burundi, Aug. 20, 2015 (photo credit: VoA)
<p>U.S. President Barack Obama says he plans to remove Burundi from a U.S. trade preference program because of a worsening crackdown on the political opposition there, after Burundi's president took a controversial third term in office.</p><p>In a letter to Congress Friday, Obama said the violence against Burundi's opposition includes "assassinations, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture."&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 20.4px;">The measure to drop Burundi from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will take effect on January 1. AGOA allows eligible African countries to import certain products without paying any duties, helping the countries to boost exports.</span></p>
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