In
Burundi,
NGOs Say 300
Executed But
UN Counts Only
57, Praises
Government
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 7 --
In Burundi,
how many
extrajudicial
executions
have there
been this
year? Human
rights groups
say over 300,
but the
UN on
Wednesday put
the number at
57. Inner City
Press asked UN
envoy
Karin Landgren
to explain.
Back
on November
22, Inner City
Press asked
Secretary
Genenal Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Martin Nesirky
Inner
City
Press: on
Burundi; there
is a report by
a coalition of
human
rights
non-governmental
organizations
there saying
that the
Government has
killed up to
300
surrendering
FNL [National
Liberation
Forces] or
demobilizing
rebels in the
last five
months. Given
the
UN’s
engagement in
Burundi, what
does the UN
think of that
report
and what’s
being done to
prevent these
retaliatory
killings?
Spokesperson:
I’ll have to
check,
Matthew. I
don’t have
anything on
that.
Four
days later on
November 25,
the UN sent
this statement
to Inner City
Press:
Subject:
Your
question on
Burundi
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
@un.org
Date: Fri, Nov
25, 2011 at
2:02 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
The
UN
continues to
be concerned
about reports
of
extrajudicial
killings
in Burundi,
including of
people
affiliated
with
opposition
parties.
The United
Nations Office
in Burundi has
raised this
concern
regularly with
the Burundian
Government,
and has urged
the Government
to take
measures to
prevent such
killings, to
investigate
all such
cases and to
hold to
account those
found
responsible.
But
how many
extrajudicial
executions
have there
been? Briefing
an open
meeting of
the UN
Security
Council on
December 7,
Mr. Landgren
put the number
at
57. After she
spoke with
Council
members in
closed door
consultations,
Inner City
Press asked,
and Ms.
Landgren
exclusively
responded to,
three
questions.
Inner
City Press
asked about
the difference
between 300
and 57. Ms.
Landgren said
"We've asked
them to give
us
documentation
on their
number. The
fifty seven
are the cases
BNUB itself
has
documented. If
they can
give us more
on their
number, we
will look into
their number."
Landgren
said,
"Things are
broadly on the
right track."
Inner City
Press
asked her
about a new
rebel group, Le
front de
restauration
de la
democratie
(FRD) led by
Pierre Claver
Kabirigi."
She
replied, "A
couple of
group
announcing
themselves,
some cross
border from
DRC and
Tanzania. The
government
made arrests
following
attacks from
across the
border in
Tanzania. We
are
emphasizing to
the
government and
opposition
groups that
there needs to
be an end of
violence."
Landgren
previously
served as UN
envoy in
Nepal, from
which two
weeks before
the UN
mission's
mandate was to
end, Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
reassigned her
to Burundi,
replacing
Charles
Petrie. Click
here for that.
(c)
UN Photo
Karin Landgren
on Dec 7, some
executed not
shown
Inner
City Press
asked if those
being killed
-- whether 57
or 300 -- are
FNL members
who were asked
to demobilize,
or others
opposed to the
government.
She replied,
"It's hard to
say people
opposed to the
government.
The pattern
among the
fifty seven...
[they are]
members of
political
parties that
are extra
parliamentary."
After
Ms. Landgren
left, Inner
City Press
asked this
month's
Council
president
Vitaly
Churkin of
Russia about
those being
killed in
Burundi.
Churkin said,
"Absolutely...
I can tell you
that the
Russia
delegate wants
strong
language in
the draft
resolution on
this." Watch
this
site.
, 
