Burundi is on the “very cusp” of a civil war that could result in eruptions of ethnic violence and have alarming consequences for neighbouring countries, the UN’s human rights chief has warned.
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UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has said he is “deeply alarmed by the latest developments in Burundi’s unfolding crisis”.
Landlocked Burundi, which holds 6 percent of the world’s nickel reserves, descended into violence in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term, which he won in July.
The move triggered a backlash from opposition lawmakers and civil society groups, which said it went against the country’s constitution that ended more than a decade of civil war in 2005.
Investigators were in Bujumbura last Friday, where they witnessed the “eruption of major exchanges of gunfire, explosions and shootings” amid attacks on three military sites.
The army said at least 87 people, including 79 gunmen, four soldiers and four policemen, were killed during the attacks. Scores of people died in the fighting. A serious investigation should be carried out, with the help of experts from outside the country, given the politicization and corruption in the Burundian justice system, said Tertsakian. “The situation in Burundi demands a robust, decisive response from the global community”.
He also outlined two other options to the UN Security Council – a political mission and a peacekeeping force.
Against this backdrop, the Chairperson reiterated AU’s support to the mediation efforts of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda on behalf of the East African Community (EAC).
Burundi has dismissed criticism of its security forces, saying they acted professionally after insurgents attacked military bases in the capital, and also said there was no need to send foreign peacekeepers to the African nation.
The trial has begun in Burundi for 28 people accused over May’s attempt to oust President Pierre Nkurunziza.
At least 240 people have been killed since April and about 215,000 others have fled to neighboring countries from the Capital Bujumbura where violence and tension seems to be the order of the day.
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He said his envoy Jamal Benomar will travel to the region this week to meet with African Union and regional leaders before talks in Bujumbura on opening up a dialogue between the government and the opposition.
