May 19, 2022
Cited article by Human Rights Watch
HRRC joins Human Rights Watch in calling for the Burundi government to conduct thorough and transparent investigations into the reports of numerous human rights violations. International governments and institutions must urge Burundi's president Évariste Ndayishimiye to publicly denounce and hold accountable those responsible for the human rights abuses.
Article Summary
Oppositional party members in Burundi have been targeted by killings, arbitrary detainment, torture, and harassment by national intelligence services, police, and youth members of the ruling party. While responding to reports of attacks on civilians and state agents by suspected rebel groups, the investigations lack for credibility. Due process and objective evidence have not been highly regarded, and the response has been heavy handed. Notably, police have been targeting opponents of the current ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD).
Human Rights Watch conducted interviews with victims, families, opposition party members, and local human rights defenders during October 2021 to April 2022. Additional data was collected from verified media, police officers' testimonials, and international reporting. There is a lack of humanitarian organizations in the region, meaning that the information collected could only represent a small portion of the actual abuses taking place. The extreme use of force being employed has increased insecurities in the affected communities.