UN May Act to Prevent Repeat of ‘Past Horrors’ in Burundi - UN Commissioner

UN Security Council (UNSC) could act effectively to prevent repetition of massacres and warfare in Burundi, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Hussein said.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — According to Hussein, UN has documented increasing numbers of extrajudicial killings and political assassinations in recent months in Burundi. Hundreds of people were arrested, including the opposition members, journalists and human rights activists.

“The country [Burundi] is at another crucial and extremely dangerous tipping point, and I believe that Member States, and this Council [UNSC], can intervene effectively to prevent the repetition of past horrors,” Hussein said on Monday.

He added that it is essential to establish a political dialogue between all the political forces in the country and criticized the government activities that led to the instability. According to Hussein, inclusive dialogue in accordance with the agreements reached by Burundian political forces could stop the repetition of violence that took place in the country during the civil war in the 1990s-2000s.

In April, Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would run for a third presidential term in the upcoming election, triggering violent unrest and refugee flight up to now.