EU denounces impunity in Burundi

In the statement issued on 17 September after the presentation of the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Burundi at the Human Rights Council, the EU says the conclusions of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Burundi are extremely serious and require the EU attention.

EU Calls on the Human Rights Council to do the follow-up of the human rights situation in Burundi

The EU says that the experts of the United Nations noticed the obstinacy of «serious violations» and infringements of the human rights. ‘Some of them could constitute crimes against humanity, summary executions, forced disappearances, cases of tortures, sexual violence, arrests and arbitrary detentions,’ reads the statement.

The European Union also denounces the general climate of impunity in Burundi. ‘We are deeply concerned about the human rights situation seeing the gravity of the situation’ they say. EU calls on the Human Rights Council to follow-up closely the human rights situation in Burundi
The EU intends to submit a resolution for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Burundi to deepen inquiries.

The European Union calls on Bujumbura government to restore completely the cooperation with its partners as quickly as possible.

Sylvestre Nyandwi, Attorney General invites the members of the Commission of inquiry on Burundi to analyze objectively the functioning of the Burundian judicial system. ‘Otherwise, their document was concocted on basis of unverified facts,’ he says.

He says some files related to the killings that occurred in 2015 have already been closed. The Attorney General particularly refers to the file on the murder of Christophe Nkezabahizi, journalist-cameraman of Burundi National Radio and Television-RTNB, that of 195 people charged in connection with the “2015 insurrectionary movement”, the murder of Zed Feruzi, former chairman of the Union for peace and democracy (UPD) party.

Mr Nyandwi also says Burundian judicial system has some shortcomings but adds they are being corrected little by little within the framework of a reform which began with the Council for the Judiciary.