Linda Thomas-Greenfield

I think we were able to actually stave off this turning into that kind of ethnic violence.

Burundi has sadly become a cautionary tale for the region about how a leader who will do anything to stay in power can undermine a decade of peace.

We do not support those kinds of actions, and we have made that very clear.

I think because of the decision to seek a third term, he has weakened his position significantly.

The situation in Burundi is very worrisome, and the stakes are very high.

I continue to be hopeful that he will make the right decision and not run for a third term.

Sir, we have seen these reports, and we have had a number of conversations with the Rwandan Government to encourage them to investigate the reports.

We need to be able to provide the support to refugees and respond to the humanitarian crisis that is coming out of this with robust funding.

Nkurunziza's pursuit of non-inclusive, non-consensual elections sparked the current crisis.

If I do not do this, my Congress is going to be on my head. You need to make a difference because it is not just me saying this but the entire U.S. Government, including our Congress, is a part of the process.

it is something that we work very, very closely with MONUSCO on.

I am honored to testify here today with Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Tom Perriello, one of your former colleagues.

I am still hopeful about the DRC.

I think the other leverage is to really put pressure on the region, on the EAC, on the AU.

we were very disappointed when the Rwandan Government established a constitutional reform commission that has recommended removing executive term limits that would permit President Kagame to seek a third term in 2017 and we have urged him…

we need more voices in the faith-based community here in the United States to talk to him, to let him know that some of the things that he is doing are not acceptable and that it causes us to doubt his faith.

And I see this in terms of a political issue as well.

That is my hope and prayer, but it is still taking way too long.

We have raised our concerns about human rights violations, about reports and allegations of extrajudicial killings.

We have put undue pressure on the government to relinquish these children and to allow them to exit the country.

The Department and the Bureau of African Affairs, in particular, greatly appreciates the bipartisan support we continue to receive for our work.

the most important thing that we can do is to be consistent in our messaging.

President Kabila faces a choice. He can establish a tradition of peaceful transition of power for his country or he can set back the significant progress that he himself has made during his tenure by trying to stay in office beyond his…

This will have a real deep impact on our future engagement with the Rwandans.

we remain closely engaged with DRC officials at the highest levels to lift the ban on exit permits for the hundreds of legally-adopted children who are unable to join their new families