In
Burundi, UN's
Ban Silent on
Shot Demonstrators,
Media
Crackdown
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May 22
-- Eight days
after the UN
Security
Council, the United States
and the UN
Peacebuilding
Configuration
on Burundi on
May 15 issued
statements
urging calm in
the country
given the
return of
Pierre
Nkurunziza to
presumably run
for a third
term, on May
22 UN
Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon
issued a
statement says
he is
encouraged by
the dialogue
since and
concerned
about refugees.
Ban said
nothing about
demonstrators
shot, or the
crack down on
media.
Here
is the full
text:
"The
Secretary-General
is encouraged
by the ongoing
political
dialogue in
Bujumbura.
This involves
representatives
of civil
society,
political
parties,
religious
organizations
and the
Government
with the
facilitation
of Special
Envoy Said
Djinnit and
representatives
of the African
Union, the
East African
Community, the
Common Market
for Eastern
and Southern
Africa and the
International
Conference on
the Great
Lakes Region.
"The
Secretary-General
applauds the
participants
for the
progress
achieved so
far in the
discussions,
especially on
measures to
reduce
tensions and
create
propitious
conditions for
free, fair,
inclusive and
peaceful
elections. He
is concerned,
however, about
the ongoing
humanitarian
crisis
involving
refugees. He
expresses
appreciation
to the
neighbouring
countries for
their
hospitality to
the refugees
and urges the
Government of
Burundi to
create
conditions for
their return.
"The
Secretary-General
encourages the
stakeholders
to pursue the
ongoing
dialogue with
a view to
reaching a
comprehensive
agreement on
all the issues
they have
identified. He
reiterates the
availability
of the United
Nations to
accompany the
people of
Burundi and
the region
during this
process."
What about the
demonstrators
shot? Ban's
silence on the
crackdown on
media is a
pattern, as Inner
City Press and
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
reported
yesterday,
here.
On May 19 the
International
Committee of
the Red Cross
issued
a carefully
worded press
release
that did not
directly say
people were
dragged out of
hospitals:
"The
International
Committee of
the Red Cross
(ICRC) is
extremely
concerned
about the
tense
pre-election
atmosphere in
Burundi and
its
humanitarian
impact on the
people of that
country. The
organization
is appealing
for calm among
all parties
involved and
asks that
health-care
staff be
allowed to do
their work
safely and
that medical
facilities not
be interfered
with.
"We are very
troubled by
the
repercussions
of the
violence that
has taken
place in
Burundi," said
Georgios
Georgantas,
head of the
ICRC
delegation in
the country.
"People must
remember that
human life and
dignity have
to be
respected at
all times, and
that
health-care
staff and
medical
centres must
be spared
from, and
protected
against, acts
of violence
and
vandalism,"
said Mr
Georgantas.
The ICRC is
also
requesting
that the
orders issued
to police
comply with
prevailing
standards and
regulations so
that the use
of force will
be kept to an
absolute
minimum.
"The crisis
has given rise
to
humanitarian
needs in the
capital
Bujumbura and
in
neighbouring
countries,
forcing the
ICRC to step
up its
efforts. In
Burundi, ICRC
delegates
visit those
who have been
arrested to
ensure their
living
conditions and
the treatment
they are
receiving are
in line with
international
standards. The
organization
also provides
medicines and
medical
equipment to
the prison
authorities as
needed."
What of people
dragged out of
hospitals? Now
there's
medical
equipment to
jails.
On
May 19 the UN
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
said UN envoy
Said Djinnit
would briefing
the Security
Council and,
he hoped, the
media on May
20. But it did
not happened;
the Council's
penholder,
when asked,
did not say
when it might
happen.
Meanwhile
Inner City
Press was
multiply
informed of an
offer that had
been made to
Nkurunziza, to
ween him from
the third term
dream: a high
but honorary
post in FIFA,
the football
federation, as
a sort of
goodwill
ambassador.
Nkurunziza
turned it
down, Inner
City Press is
informed by
Permanent
Representatives
at the UN and
other
diplomatic
sources. Now
he has sacked
ministers and
said it is him
or Al Shabaab.
What could
have been,
FIFA. (Inner
City Press
also asked on
May 18 about
Qatar
detaining a
BBC journalist
while he
reported on
the situation
of migrant
workers
preparing
there for the
FIFA World
Cup.)
On Burundi,
from the UN's
May 18 noon
briefing
transcript
, 
