In
Burundi, 63
Killed in Last
3 Weeks, Still
No Ban Ki-moon
Envoy, EU
Letter
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 23 --
As killings in
Burundi
increase,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq on
October 20
about the
killing of
Charlotte
Umugwaneza,
and the
jailing of
Radio Publique
Africaine
journalist
Egide Mwemero
in Eastern
Congo, asking
if the UN
mission
MONUSCO had
said or done
anything. Video here. Apparently not. On
October 22,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Rapporteur
David Kaye
about it.
On
October 23,
the Office of
the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights said
"We are
extremely
concerned at
the rapidly
worsening
security and
human rights
situation in
Burundi.
According to
our team on
the ground, at
least 198
people have
been killed in
Burundi since
26 April 2015,
one third of
them -- 63
people -- in
the last three
weeks alone.
"We are
particularly
shocked at the
deadly
incident which
took place on
13 October in
the Bujumbura
neighbourhood
of Ngagara. At
least nine
civilians were
reportedly
summarily
executed by
police forces
belonging to
the API Unit
(Appui pour la
Protection des
institutions,
the Police
Unit in charge
of protecting
state
institutions),
including a
well-known
cameraman of
the National
Radio and
Television of
Burundi
(RTNB),
Christophe
Nkezabahizi,
his wife,
their two
children and
an IOM staff
member living
in the same
compound,
Evariste
Mbonihankuye.
"While police
forces were
searching
houses in the
area, members
of the
Nkezabahizi
family were
reportedly
called out of
their home,
lined up and
shot in cold
blood. Reports
suggest the
IOM staff
member was
wearing his
UN-ID but was
still shot
dead.
"Despite
previous
reports of
attacks
against
humanitarian
personnel,
this is the
first time a
humanitarian
worker is
killed by
security
forces since
the beginning
of the crisis.
"This
appalling
incident was
apparently
triggered by
an attack on
three API
police
officers by
unidentified
armed youth in
the same
neighbourhood.
One of the
police
officers was
reportedly
killed and
another
injured while
the third
managed to
escape and
called for
help.
"Four other
people,
including one
minor, were
also
reportedly
killed by the
police in a
separate
incident at
the same
location on
the same day.
At least four
houses were
fired at, as
evidenced by
the many
bullet holes
in their walls
and broken
windows which
were observed
by our team on
the ground.
The houses
were also
reportedly
looted by the
police.
"We welcome
the
establishment
by the
Attorney
General of
Burundi of a
commission of
enquiry to
investigate
the Ngagara
incident and
we call for
this
investigation
to be
transparent,
impartial and
in line with
international
and national
human rights
standards. We
urge the
authorities to
issue clear
instructions
to all members
of their
security
forces that
acts such as
this will be
punished with
the full force
of the law."
On
October 22,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Haq:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you a question
about
Burundi.
The EU is
preparing a
letter to
invite the
Burundian
parties to
Brussels to
have a
discussion
about
diffusing the
situation.
And I wanted
to know, not
just what does
the UN think
about it, but
is there any
UN role in
this?
And, if not,
what does it
say about the
UN sort of
action on
Burundi?
It's one thing
to defer maybe
to the AU but
this is the
UE. What
is the UN
doing about
this?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We are
following up
with all the
various
initiatives by
regional
parties
including the
African Union
and the
European Union
and, of
course, our
Envoy dealing
with the Great
Lakes Region
has been
appraised of
this so we are
continuing to
follow-up.
ICP:
But, I mean,
is the EU
really, can
you… it is a
regional
organization
but is it a
regional
organization
with respect
to Burundi?
Deputy
Spokesman:
That is
question for
the European
Union, not for
me.
ICP:
Have you been
contacted I
guess is my
question?
Deputy
Spokesman:
But regarding
this, we have
been in touch
with a variety
of regional
bodies
including
through the
office of the
Special Envoy
for the Great
Lakes Region
but also
through our
Department of
Political
Affairs and
will keep
appraised of
all the
various actors
in this.
Back on
October 20,
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Haq cited back
to a written
statement by
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon more
than a week
ago; he said
generally that
MONUSCO like
all UN mission
affirms the
right of
freedom of the
press. Really?
Later
on October 20
after Inner
City Press
asked UN
rapporteur on
torture Juan
Mendez about
Guantanamo and
US prisons, in
the hall after
waiting
through a
number of
questions in
Spanish Inner
City Press
asked him if
he'd received
complaints
about, or
acted on,
Burundi. No,
he said, not
yet. Really?
Update: later
on October 20
it was
announced that
the UN's Jeff
Feltman will
briefing the
Security
Council behind
closed doors
on October 21.
But what
outcome with
the Council's
penholder,
France, even
ask for?
On
October 16
Inner City
Press asked
Haq if the UN
thinks the
government can
investigate
itself. This
was based on
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
October 15
statement that
"The
Secretary-General
condemns the
killing of
nine civilians
and two police
officers in
Bujumbura on
13 October...
He urges
Burundian
authorities to
undertake a
rigorous and
prompt
investigation
into the
circumstances
and motives
behind these
despicable
crimes in
order to
ensure that
their
perpetrators
are brought to
justice."
So can
the Nkurunziza
government
investigate
itself (as the
UN purports to
be
investigating
or "auditing"
itself in the
wake of
corruption
revelation
about former
Presidnet of
the General
Assembly John
Ashe among
others)? Inner
City Press
asked this
question (video
here) as
well as
following up
on
this, from
October 13:
Inner City
Press: the
Burundi
question is
one that maybe
you can check
with DPKO
[Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations].
Burundian
human rights
activists say
that an
officer,
Jerome
Ntibogora,
N-t-i-b-o-g-o-r-a,
who was
accused of
being involved
in killing
people in a…
in a hospital
after they
fled from the
Government,
has now been
deployed to
MINUSMA
[United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission] in
Mali. So
I wanted to…
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Let's see what
we can find
out.
Dujarric did
not come back
with an
answer, by
this deputy
when Inner
City Pres
asked again on
October 16
said he,
Ntibogora is
not being
deployed.
We'll see -
watch this
site.
Amid
crackdowns in
Burundi by
security
forces, and
allegations of
sexual abuse
by Burundian
peacekeepers
serving under
the UN flag,
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous on
October 1 held
a meeting with
Burundian Vice
President
Joseph Butore.
Inner
City Press has
already tweeted
a photograph
of the
meeting, but
has now
received the
complete UN
read-out,
which raises
more questions
about Ladsous.
On the
crackdown,
Ladsous
assured Butore
that he has a
“pragmatic
approach” and
is of no mind
to question
what happens
in any
country, does
not involve
himself in
"domestic
affairs."
On the sexual
abuse
allegations,
Ladsous spoke
only in
platitudes,
without
requiring or
even inquiring
into any
actions taken
by the
Burundians on
the alleged
abuse.
Even though
Burundi was
already given
a “grace
period” to
bring
appropriate
equipment into
the Central
African
Republic for
the MINUSCA
mission, they
have not done
so. In the
meeting,
according to
the read-out,
Butore
"acknowledged"
the
substandard
equipment.
Butore
requested, and
Ladsous for
now granted,
yet another
extension to
bring the
requirement
equipment --
until March
2016 for light
equipment, and
to June 2016
for heavy
equipment.
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