The European Union (EU) says it will withdraw election observers from Burundi as the African nation insists on holding elections on Monday with no appropriate conditions to ensure credibility.

As a consequence, the EU will also suspend aid to Burundi.

"The situation poses increasing risks to the rights and safety of all Burundians. There is no alternative: all Burundi must continue to seek a consensual solution through dialogue and rejecting violence. The EU urges the Government of Burundi to enter into this logic. It will continue to work closely with African partners and the United Nations to this end," the EU's official statement said.

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A month ago, the EU said it was suspending its election observation mission, but today the organization said it had been forced to withdraw its observers. According to Federica Mogherini, EU Foreign Policy Chief, the election observers dispatched by the EU to the African nation could no longer put up with the situation and could not help ensure fair, peaceful and credible elections.

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza is running for the presidency for the third time this month.

The EU cited media restriction, a series of intimidation and excessive force against protesters as the main reasons behind the withdrawal, according to the BBC.

The election has drawn criticism from the country's influential Catholic Church and from the opposition, who claim that a fair election is impossible due to the current situation.

Violence erupted late April after incumbent President Nkurunziza said he would seek the third term. Many critics have described his move as a violation of the constitution. At least 25 people died in the the ensuing violence, while around 200,000 Burundians have left the country out of fear that the tension would escalate to full blown conflict.

Meanwhile, the Burundian government has said that postponing the election would worsen the situation. Burundi is a poor African country that is inhabited by Hutu and Tutsi tribes, similar to neighboring Rwanda.

Critics have warned the ongoing situation could open the old wounds of the decade-long Burundi civil war that led to the loss of many lives between 1993-2003. 

TagsEU, Burundi Elections, EU withdraws Observers Burundi