By Our Correspondent, BUJUMBURA Burundi
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi urged the East African country’s new government early this week to “break the cycle of violence” and start cooperating with the United Nations.
In a statement, the commission, which
publishes its final report in September, urged Burundi’s new president,
Evariste Ndayishimiye, to “demonstrate his will for change”.
It urged him to cooperate fully with
international human rights mechanisms — including the commission itself — and
reopen the UN Office for Human Rights in Burundi.
The Commission of Inquiry, established
in 2016, is charged with identifying alleged perpetrators of human rights
violations and abuses in Burundi since 2015, with a view to ensuring full
accountability.
Former President, Pierre Nkurunziza
never allowed investigators into the landlocked country of some 11 million
people.
Burundi has been in crisis since 2015,
when Nkurunziza ran for a third term and was re-elected in a vote boycotted by
most of the opposition.
At least 1,200 people were killed and
more than 400,000 displaced in violence between April 2015 and May 2017 that
the UN says was mostly carried out by state security forces.
Nkurunziza, who ruled for 15 often tumultuous
years, died suddenly last month aged 55, shortly after elections won by
Ndayishimiye, an army general handpicked by the ruling party to succeed him.
“Burundi needs more than a new president
to break the cycle of violence,” the commission said, describing the country as
being at a crossroads.
The commission noted that in his
inauguration speech, Ndayishimiye stressed the need to improve the human rights
situation and the fight against impunity.
However, his government is “composed
essentially of caciques (chiefs) of the regime of the late president”,
including some under sanctions for alleged rights violations, the commission
claimed.
“This transition could become an
opportunity for improvement if the government takes concrete measures,” said
commission chair Doudou Diene.
“The international community must remain vigilant and mobilised to encourage action that addresses the root causes of human rights violations.
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