United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the wave of violence in Burundi following the nomination of President Pierre Nkurunziza as a presidential candidate by the ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD).
The Secretary-General has called on the Burundian authorities to conduct an “immediate investigation” into the deaths that occurred during the recent protests, in order to hold those responsible “accountable,” his spokesperson said in a press statement.
According to the press, the protests were triggered after the CNDD-FDD's decision to swear in outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza, who will therefore seek a third term in Burundi's presidential election on June 26. The Burundian opposition, considering that a third candidacy for Mr. Nkurunziza is unconstitutional, called for a demonstration against this nomination, provoking a wave of violence and repression by the authorities against the demonstrators.
The Secretary-General has dispatched his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Said Djinnit, to Burundi for consultations with President Nkurunziza and other government officials, political party leaders and members of the diplomatic community.
“He calls on the Burundian authorities to uphold the human rights of all Burundians, including freedom of assembly, association and expression. He calls on the security services to remain impartial and exercise restraint in the face of public demonstrations. He urges all parties to reject violence and to avoid using inflammatory or hateful language that could further increase tensions,” the spokesperson added.
Mr. Ban called on Burundians to safeguard their "hard-won" gains in consolidating peace and democracy, and urged them to resolve their differences through dialogue.
Faced with this outbreak of violence, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) has noted an increase in the number of Burundian refugees fleeing their country for neighbouring Rwanda.
"Over the weekend, the number of Burundian refugees seeking refuge in Rwanda increased dramatically, with more than 5,000 refugees entering the country in just two days. According to the Government of Rwanda, since the beginning of April, nearly 21,000 Burundians, mostly women and children, have fled to Rwanda, citing intimidation and threats of violence in connection with the upcoming elections," UNHCR said at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
The UN agency also announced that a team had been mobilised on site to provide assistance to Burundian refugees inside the new Mahama camp in the Eastern Province, created by the Rwandan authorities to cope with this new influx.
