As the country of Burundi heads toward civil war, world leaders hope mediation could quell the problems and lead to peace between the government and opposition.

The country recently emerged from a 12 year civil war in the last decade, but again began to descend into chaos this past spring when the country’s leader announced he would seek a third term. Protests in the country’s capital ensued and things have grown worse since then. Following his disputed election in July, the problems increased even more and a US Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lake’s region is concerned civil war could be next. He acknowledges a small window of hope that could avoid a breakdown.

He said of the current conflicts, “The most urgent thing is a regionally-mediated dialogue that will deal with the crisis itself.”

World powers are concerned that the conflicts and murders in Burundi could be an indication of the violence to come – something that could be comparable to the 1994 Rwanda genocide that included 800,000 murders.

In October, the United States imposed sanctions on four officials, citing murder, arbitrary arrests, and torture. The United Nations and the African Union also took action, creating a contingency plan for deployment of peacekeepers.

Unfortunately, even with attempts to mediate, the problems in the country have continued to spiral out of control and in mid-December the United States called on all of its citizens to evacuate the country, fearing the worst outcome in the coming weeks. Without third-party support, it is unlikely mediation will continue or prove successful.