UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – 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).
Some 220,000 people have fled Burundi and 15,000 people have been displaced within the country, according to the UN estimates.
Resolution 2279 was unanimously adopted on Friday. It "requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Government of Burundi and in coordination with the AU [African Union] to present as soon as possible and no later than 15 days after the date of adoption of this resolution options for the deployment of a United Nations Police contribution to increase the United Nations capacity to monitor the security situation, promote the respect of human rights and advance rule of law."
The resolution also encourages an all-inclusive inter-Burundian dialogue with the participation of all parties committed to a peaceful solution to the crisis in the country.
