Burundi
Burundi
August 2015 marked the 15th anniversary of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, which ended thirteen years of ethnic-based civil war in Burundi between the Tutsi minority and Hutu majority.
Recently, the security situation has deteriorated as the result of disagreement over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term, resulting in violent demonstrations, excessive force against protesters, an attempted coup, and arrests of civil rights leaders. Women have been active in the political unrest, and staged the first major protest against the president’s third term bid. However, violence against women operates in a culture of impunity, with women experiencing rape, torture, and enslavement.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for full implementation of the government gender quota of 30%, and equal and meaningful women’s participation in designing and implementing human rights protection mechanisms.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Burundi (July 2018)
In the context of ongoing violence, repression, and violations of human rights, characterized by impunity, it is urgent that the Council address ways to advance high-level diplomatic efforts and support for mediation to move the dialogue process forward in Burundi. Any dialogue must be accompanied by concrete actions by the Council, African Union, and East African Community members. Due to the high volatility of the situation, it is urgent that the Council put contingency planning back at the center of its discussions to ensure the timely, unfettered, and appropriate protection of the civilian population in case of a brutal increase of violence. According to the UN Commission of Inquiry for Burundi, since April 2015, there is “reasonable ground to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed” (A/HRC/36/54). The Commission also confirmed the “persistence of extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, and detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, and cruel inhuman or degrading treatment and [sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)]” (A/HRC/36/54). Women and girls are reported to be amongst the first victims of SGBV perpetrated with extreme cruelty and often accompanied by gender-based, political or ethnic hate speech. In addition to reported continued abuses and violence, acute needs in Burundi and the region are on the rise; the number of individuals with acute humanitarian needs has tripled in one year (OCHA), and the number of Burundian refugees has increased to over 400,000 persons in addition to hundreds of thousands of people who have fled the country since 2015 including leading activists and opposition politicians. Council members should jointly call on donors to urgently increase and coordinate support to Burundian population, both in Burundi and regionally. The efforts of countries hosting Burundian refugees should be supported and commended, and moreover, the Council should strongly advocate against any coerced or forceful returns and for transparent Refugee Determination Status procedures.
Relevant Resources
