Human rights crisis persists in Burundi

Burundi-President-Evariste-Ndayishimiye-2021.jpeg

Évariste Ndayishimiye

from OMEGA SSUUNA in Bujumbura, Burundi
BUJUMBURA, (CAJ News) PRESIDENT Évariste Ndayishimiye is accused of reneging on his pledge to improve the human rights situation and restore the rule of law in Burundi.

A commission of enquiry into Burundi reports the democratic space remains tightly closed and serious human rights violations have continued since the president took office in June 2020.

“Even though the country appears to be on the path to normalisation, there are good reasons to remain very concerned about the dire human rights situation in Burundi,” said Doudou Diène, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry.

The envoy called on all concerned with Burundi to “look below the surface.”

“Since the inauguration of President Ndayishimiye 15 months ago, not only have serious human rights violations continued to be committed, but in some respects the situation has deteriorated,” Diène said.

Although the level of political violence appeared to have subsided immediately after the 2020 elections, the political climate remains highly intolerant of dissenting voices.

Members of opposition parties, are still regularly the target of undue restrictions and are subject to serious human rights violations such as disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and acts of torture.

The commission of enquiry noted the contradictory signals sent by the authorities: while lifting certain sanctions imposed on civil society and the media and releasing some human rights defenders and journalists, the government had taken steps to strengthen its oversight over the work of international NGOs and shown hostility to independent journalism.

Commissioner Françoise Hampson stressed that the rule of law in Burundi continued to erode despite Ndayishimiye’s stated intention to restore it.

“When government decisions are taken arbitrarily, even for positive ends, it has an overall corrupting influence,” she said.

Hampson said they had lost confidence in the judiciary preventing or remedy human rights violations.

“Our report shows how the executive has only strengthened its oversight of justice under the new administration,” she said.

The commission is due to present its report to the Human Rights Council on September 23.

Ndayishimiye succeeded the now-late Pierre Nkurunziza, who plunged the country into renewed crisis in 2015 after forcing a third term.

– CAJ News

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