Over 220 UN Police to Monitor Human Rights Situation in Burundi

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution allowing the deployment of over 220 police officers in the conflict-torn country.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The French-drafted resolution, approved on Friday, "Requests the Secretary-General to establish a United Nations police officers component in Burundi for an initial period of one year to monitor the security situation and to support OHCHR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights] in monitoring human rights violations and abuses" and "authorizes a ceiling of 228 United Nations individual police officers for the United Nations police component."

In April 2016, the UN Security Council asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for the deployment of a UN police force in Burundi. The April UNSC resolution also encouraged an all-inclusive inter-Burundian dialogue with the participation of all parties committed to a peaceful solution to the crisis in the country.

Since late April 2015, Burundi has been undergoing a political crisis as current President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his bid for a third term in office, despite being constitutionally bound to step down after two terms. His third-term election was followed by an attempted coup in May 2015.

At least 439 people were killed in Burundi since April 2015, as a result of the government’s crackdown on the opposition and its supporters, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Over 270,000 people have fled Burundi and 15,000 people have been displaced within the country, according to the UN estimates.

So far, 32 human rights observers and 15 military observers have been deployed to Burundi, according to the UNSC.