The African Union Peace and Security Council called for the organisations to speed up plans to send troops to Burundi if violence in the region worsens, reports Reuters.
In a statement released after meeting on Saturday, the council added that sanctions would be imposed on anyone who incited further violence in Burundi.
Burundi has suffered months of violent turmoil since the current President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would seek a third term in power.
“The Peace and Security Council requests the commission to expedite and finalise the contingency planning for the purposes of the deployment in Burundi, should the situation so require, of an African-led Mission to prevent widespread violence in the country,” said the council’s statement.