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UN to send rights investigators to Burundi

Monday, 29 February 2016 2:12 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 29 February 2016 2:11 PM ]

A woman sits on the floor as she grieves on July 2, 2015 next to a family portrait and the body of one of the victims of the unrest that rocked the neighborhood of Mutakura in Bujumbura the day before, where at least six people were killed during clashes with police. (AFP Photo)

The United Nations has decided to send its human rights experts to Burundi to investigate rights abuse claims there.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Monday it will send a team of rights investigators to the crisis-hit African country to look into allegations of widespread violations.

Three UN investigators are due to visit Burundi for a week from March 1.

The rights experts - who are from Algeria, Colombia and South Africa - are members of the UN's Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB) office, set up in December and tasked with carrying out "an investigation into violations and abuses of human rights with a view to preventing further deterioration of the human rights situation."

"Our aim is to help the state fulfill its human rights obligations, ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses, including by identifying alleged perpetrators," said Christof Heyns, the UN's Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary of Arbitrary Executions, who is one of the investigators.

"We have a clear mandate from the Human Rights Council to help prevent Burundi from falling into the abyss," said Maya Sahli-Fadel, the Algerian team member.

The investigators are due to present their preliminary findings in late March with a final report due in September.

Last week, the UN chief and an African Union (AU) delegation, led by South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, visited Burundi to help resolve the crisis in the country.

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza (R) and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during their meeting on February 23, 2016 in Bujumbura. (AFP Photo)

After the visit, the AU said it “will deploy 100 human rights observers and 100 military monitors to Burundi to monitor the situation."

Burundi's political crisis was triggered 10 months ago after President Pierre Nkurunziza's decided to run for president for a third term.

The decision was denounced by opposition forces as being contrary to the constitution and a 2006 peace accord ending the country’s civil war.

Nkurunziza won the presidency election in July.

According to UN figures, since April 26, 2015 violence has become routine, with more than 400 people killed and nearly quarter of a million fleeing the country.

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