On
Burundi, 2d UN
Staffer Told
to Leave, UN
Confirms,
Silent on Its
Cable
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
3, more
here --
With the UN in
Burundi still
resisting
speaking about
its own cable
about the
ruling CNDD
party arming
its youth
wing, now it
seems another
UN staffer is
being thrown
out.
The Senior
Advisor on
Press and
Communications
to Burundi's
presidency has
today
announced by
Twitter that
"#Abednego du
#BNUB, a 48h
pour quitter
le #Burundi,
attrapé le 25
mai avec des
munitions à
l'aéroport de
#Bujumbura à
l'embarquement
de #KQ."
When asked by
Inner City
Press, he
specified,
about to board
a Kenya Airways
flight at 7:20
pm, on May 25,
found with munitions,
given 48 hours
to leave.
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric, who
checked and
replied, "the
UN mission in
Burundi (BNUB)
has received a
communication
from the
government
regarding
their
intention to
expel a BNUB
staff member.
The Mission is
in
communication
with the
authorities on
the matter. We
should have
more details
on the matter
in the coming
days,
including on a
possible
resolution."
But the
previous
staffer thrown
out, for
reporting that
the ruling party
was arming its
youth wing,
left and has
not gone back
according to
the last response
from Dujarric.
This comes
after the UN's
Mary Robinson
and the US'
Russ Feingold
issued a statement
in which among
other things
they say they
are "very
concerned
about the
constraints on
political
space and
civil
liberties
which hinder
the efforts of
the
opposition,
civil society,
and the media,
in the lead up
to elections
in 2015."
Now what will
the UN do? The
Free
UN Coalition
for Access
has asked the
UN about
attacks on
journalists
for reporting
on the UN's
cable, with no
response.
Background:
After the UN's
Burundi cable
of April 3,
detailing the
ruling CNDD
party arming
its youth
wing, was
published and
asked about by
Inner City
Press, the UN
has been
stonewalling.
On
the case of
human rights
defender Pierre
Claver
Mbonimpa, who
spoke about
the cable
and took it
further,
now being kept
in prison by
the court in
Bjumbura, the
UN had no
answer when
Inner City
Press asked
again and
again.
Until...
On
May 30 UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric read
out a
statement, we
have received
questions
about the case
of Mr
Mbonimpa, "we
are indeed
concerrned."
Dujarric said
Mbonimpa is in
pre-trial
detention due
to things he
said on a
radio station;
Dujarric said
the UN has "no
way to
substantiate"
what Mbonimpa
said.
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric, does
this mean the
UN is backing
away from its
own April 3
cable, which
Mbonimpa
discussed on
the radio,
along with
youth wing
training in a
camp in the
Eastern Congo.
Dujarric said
of the "leaked
cable, we
won't comment
on that." Why
won't the
MONUSCO UN
Peacekeeping
mission under
Herve Ladsous
go check the
camps?
Dujarric said,
I have
"nothing on
that." Video
here.
So is it that
the UN can't
substantiate
what Mbonimpa
said? Or that
the UN doesn't
want to?
Inner
City Press is
informed that
Mbonimpa was
cynically
offered his
freedom only
if he would
agree to
1)
make public
apology
2)
renounce
investigation
of and
communications
about on
paramilitary
trainings to
be held in
Kiliba Ondes
in Democratic
Republic of
Congo
3)
refrain from
making any
declaration of
victory on his
release from
prison.
These sources
say that the
US "premature"
announcement
that Mbonimpa
had already
been freed
"boomeranged."
Much to
his credit,
Mbonimpa would
not agree to
the
conditions,
including that
he speak no
more about the
arming and
training of
the youth
wing,
described in
the UN cable,
and allegedly
taking place
in the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo
without any
inquiry by the
UN Mission in
the DRC,
MONUSCO.
Inner City
Press has
asked the UN a
dozen times
about the
cable,
yielding
answers more
and more
surreal. US
Ambassador to
the UN
Samantha
Power, when
Inner City
Press asked
her at the
Security
Council
stakeout, provided a more substantive Burundi
answer, here.
Even as Mbonimpa
of the Association
pour la
protection des
droits humains
et des
personnes
détenues
(APRODH)
was arrested,
the UN denied
it received
his and others
letters, and
stonewalled on
letters from
opposition
parties.
Mbonimpa is
23rd on this
letter
given to BNUB
but still
denied by the
UN, click
here as
Inner City
Press first
published it.
Click
here for
Mbonimpa
producing more
evidence
including
photographs;
now Abakunzi /
Iwacu has
testimonies
from among the
youth wing.
On
May 23 at 7:30
pm in New
York, US
Ambassador to
the UN
Samantha Power
announced
that she
"welcome[s]
Burundi's
release of
human rights
activist
Pierre
Mbonimpa."
It was good news.
But in the
sixteen hours
after, no on
else confirmed
it, least of
all the
Burundian
government.
Questions
mounted, and
at 11:25 am on
Saturday in
New York,
Inner City
Press reported
them.
An hour later
Ambassador
Power said,
"Now word
Burundi's
government has
not in fact
freed Pierre
Mbonimpa."
Some in
Burundi
surmise that
the Presidency
informed Power
that Mbonimpa
was being
freed, or was
being offered
freedom, and
ask what the
US thinks of
conditioning a
human rights
defender's
freedom on not
speaking out
anymore.
And what about
the UN, which
claims a
"Rights Up
Front"
approach since
its failure in
Sri Lanka? The
UN is silent.
On May 22 UN
spokesman
Stephane
Duarric still
denied even
receiving
Mbonimpa's
letter, and
the letter of
opposition
political
parties that
Inner City
Press is
reliably
informed was
given to the
BNUB mission.
On May
21, Inner
City Press
asked
Dujarric, video here:
Inner
City Press:
I’m sorry to
ask this
again, but I
wanted to ask
about Burundi
again, in the
sense that the
opposition
parties there
have affirmed
and
re-affirmed
that they sent
to a letter to
Secretary-General
about this
leaked cable
of the arming
of the youth
wing of the
CNDD (National
Council for
the Defence of
Democracy)
Party.
And so, I
asked and
Vannina said
the NGO
(non-governmental
organization)
letter wasn’t
received and
she’ll check
on the letter
of the
Opposition
Party that was
the seventh
[of
May]. I
asked you on
the sixteenth
[of May]. Who
should
I ask? I
mean, it seems
like if the UN
is [covering
up]
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I will check
again all the
possible
recipients of
the letter.
Inner City
Press: There
was a speech
or press
conference
held by the
SRSG (Special
Representative
of the
Secretary-General)
in Burundi,
essentially
apologizing to
the Government
for the leak
of the cable,
but not in any
way… I mean,
I’ve asked
here a number
of times, like
people there
seem to
believe it’s
true.
The human
rights
defender has
named the
camp… a camp
where he says
there are
being trained
in the
DRC. Has
MONUSCO
(United
Nations
Organization
Stabilization
Mission in the
Democratic
Republic of
Congo) even
gone to that
camp? Is
there any
coordination?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
If I have
something new
on Burundi, I
will share
with you, but
I don’t at
this point.
On May
22 Dujarric
announced
"Yesterday,
Matthew, you
asked about
two letters
from NGOs
[non-governmental
organizations]
and political
parties.
We’ve checked
again this
morning for
you and we
cannot
ascertain that
we have
received such
letters at the
Secretariat."
On
May
6 Inner
City Press asked
Vannina
Maestracci,
Associate
Spokesperson
for UN
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon:
Inner
City
Press: I
wanted to ask
about Burundi.
There are two
letters that
have emerged
that were sent
to the
Secretary-General,
people say
they were
sent. One was
from a group
of
[non-governmental
organizations]
in Burundi and
now, a group
of 12
political
parties,
including the
major, all the
major
opposition
parties wrote
to the
Secretary-General
asking for UN
investigation
of the 3 April
cable saying
that the
Government was
arming the
youth wing… to
remain in
power. And, I
wanted to
know, one,
maybe you
won’t have it
here, but can
you, today,
confirm or
deny that
these two
letters were
received and
say whether…
what the
response has
been? Whether,
in fact, the
UN is, itself,
investigating
the contents
of the cable?
Associate
Spokesperson
Vannina
Maestracci:
Okay, let me
check first if
we did,
indeed,
receive these
two letters
and we’ll
start there.
Okay?
On
May
7, Inner
City Press
asked again -
and receipt
of the NGOs'
letter was
denied:
Inner
City
Press:
Burundi?
Associate
Spokesperson
Vannina
Maestracci:
No. We checked
on Burundi.
You asked
about two
letters, is
that right?
There’s one by
the NGOs
(non-governmental
organizations)
that we did
not receive.
We’re still
waiting for an
answer on the
other one. So
that’s one
thing.
Pierre Claver
Mbonimpa was
arrested.
Belatedly,
Human Rights
Watch spoke --
but in a
statement that
doesn't even
MENTION the
April 3 UN
cable. Why
not? Well, HRW
has a history
of not
criticizing
the UN.
In fact, when
Inner City
Press asked
HRW to simply
summarize what
issues its Ken
Roth raised to
the UN's Ban
Ki-moon --
Haiti cholera
impunity?
Minova rapes
by the UN's
partners in
the Congolese
Army? UN
Peacekeeping's
Herve Ladsous'
use of drones?
-- HRW's
lobbyist at
the UN
Philippe
Bolopion, a
former France
24 and Le
Monde scribe
at the UN, replied
that such
summaries are
not public
(apparently
only for
funders), in
order to
retain HRW's
access:
"Hi
Matthew: To
preserve our
ability to
have frank
discussions
with UN
officials and
advance our
advocacy
goals, we
don't
typically
communicate on
the content of
discussions we
have with
them." Click
here for that.
Here, to not
speak of the
UN cable and
the UN's
shameful
silence on the
expulsion of
its author --
is
irresponsible.
Back on
May 14the
issue was
expected to be
addressed in
the Security
Council's May
14 meeting.
But UN envoy
Parfait
Onanga-Anyanga
lavishly
praised the
government,
with Interior
Minister
Edouard
Nduwimana
sitting at his
side. He
referred
vaguely to a
propensity to
confrontation
between youths
affiliated to
the political
parties,
adding that
this
phenomenon is
particularly
preoccupying
when it also
touches youths
affiliated to
the party in
power.
Ah, diplomacy.
(The Swiss
chair for the
Peacebuilding
Configuration's
speech was
somewhat more
frank; we have
uploaded it here.
But under
current, unACTed
on Council
rules, he
cannot enter
the Council's
consultations.)
Burundi threw
out of the
country the UN
Security Chief
quoted in the
cable;
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
Office of the
Spokesperson
told Inner
City Press
that a letter
from civil
society
organizations
was not
received, and
never answered
Inner City
Press'
question on a
letter from
opposition
parties. This
is not
diplomacy,
some say: this
is a cover-up.
Background:
the UN has
been asked to
investigate
the April 3
cable, first
by Burundian
civil society
organizations
and then by 12
political
parties. Inner
City Press has
obtained the
letter of the
12 parties,
including
Uprona and
Frodebu, and today
puts it online
here.
What will the
UN do?
When Inner
City Press
asked at the
UN noon
briefing and
of US
Ambassador
Samantha Power
at the UN
Security
Council
stakeout, the
UN came up
with an
interim
answer.
(Also, as set
forth below,
23 civil
society
organizations
wrote to UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon to
request a full
international
and
independent
investigation
of the cable:
letter
here, annex
here.)
UN spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
announced that
the UN had
sent its
Special
Adviser on the
Prevention of
Genocide Adama
Dieng to
Burundi. But
it was not
possible to
ask Dieng
about his
visit and
findings,
either when he
appeared at a
think tank
across from
the UN at a
genocide
commemoration
or inside the
UN building.
Until on May 2
when Dieng
took questions
after briefing
the Security
Council about
South Sudan,
and Inner City
Press asked
him about his
Burundi visit
and the cable,
video here.
Significantly,
in terms of
the UN using
Dieng's visit
as evidence of
action on the
cable, Dieng
answered that
his visit was
planned before
the cable was
"released."
But he ran
through a
litany of
concerns:
rampant
impunity,
people
"around" the
president who
are trying to
hold on to
power, and the
arrest of
opposition
leader
Alexis
Sinduhije.
Beyond putting
the video
online, Inner
City Press is
also today
putting online
the Burundi
NGOs' letter
and annex,
here. How
has the UN
responded?
While
sources in the
UN Security
Council told
Inner City
Press on April
24 that they
want an
investigation
of the April 3
leaked UN
cable about
the party in
power in
Burundi arming
its youth
wing, it was
the media that
first reached
one of the
Generals at
issue,
Nduwumunsi.
The
cable, as
published by
Inner City
Press, stated
that "General
Nduwumunsi
(currently
Director
General of
former
Combatants)
and General -
Major
Niyungeko
Jevenal aka
KIROHO
(currently
head of the
Office of
military
Cooperation)
would be
supervisors of
these
activities
(distributions
of weapons and
military and
police
uniforms)."
Now IWACU
runs quotes
from
Nduwumunsi but
concludes,
"Pour les
autres
accusations
des Nations
unies sur une
distribution
d’armes, il a
promis de
s’exprimer
ultérieurement."
("For other
charges UN
distribution
of weapons, he
promised to
speak later.")
Speak to whom
- the UN?
Apparently
not: Inner
City Press asked
UN Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric on
April 25:
Inner
City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you about
Burundi. There
was a
consultation
yesterday of
the Security
Council; Mr.
[Jeffrey]
Feltman went,
some other
people from
DPA
[Department of
Political
Affairs]. I
was told
afterwards
that basically
there’s a call
to investigate
that same
cable, 3 April
cable about
distribution
of weapons to
the youth wing
of the
Government
party in
power. So I
wanted to know
what is, one,
can you say
whether the
persona non
grata DSS
[Department of
Safety and
Security]
chief…actually
who left the
country or if
the protest
has worked?
And what is
UN’s task from
this in terms
of
investigating
the contents
of the cable?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
The DSS
person, the
person that
was declared
persona non
grata, when
that happened,
was out of the
country. He
has not
returned to
Burundi. Can
you rephrase
the first part
of your
question?
Inner
City
Press: It was
said
afterwards by
a participant
in the
consultations
that there’s
been a request
by the Council
that the
contents of it
be
investigated.
If DSS chief
is not there,
what is the
role of either
the country
team, DSS or
DPA to
actually, more
than
expressing
concern,
actually look
into the facts
alleged in
that cable?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
You know,
obviously,
this
allegation of
arms
distribution…
that
allegation has
taken more and
more of a
centre stage
in political
discourse in
Burundi. We’ve
noted the
Government’s
public
statements
rejecting the
allegations
and we welcome
them. But we
still call on
the Government
to
investigate,
to embark on a
credible and
transparent
investigation
into these
allegations.
We’ve offered
assistance to
assist in this
credible and
transparent
investigation
and we stand
ready, but we
have not been
asked, but it
is the primary
responsibility
of the
Government to
lead such an
investigation.
So the UN
"welcomes" the
government's
statements on
the cable - a
vituperative
denial?
Meanwhile
journalists in
Burundi face
demands to
name and give
up their
sources:
"Alexis
Nkeshimana et
Eloge
Niyonzima,
respectivement
correspondants
de Bonesha FM
et RPA à
Bubanza
comparaissaient
devant le
substitut du
procureur de
la République
à Bubanza, ce
jeudi 24
avril, sur
plainte du
Cndd-Fdd" --
that is, a
complain by
the same
CNDD-FDD
party.
Alongside our
coverage of attacks
on free press
in Egypt
and Ethiopia,
along with the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
we hope to
pursue this.
Back on on
April 24, a
week after
Burundi
ordered out of
the country
the UN
security chief
who authored a
leaked cable
reporting the
President
arming his
youth wing, a
team from the
UN Department
of Political
Affairs rushed
into an
unscheduled
Security
Council
meeting. A
Permanent
Representative
told Inner
City Press the
topic was
Burundi.
But afterward,
despite the
UN's claims
about "Rights
Up Front" and
sounding the
alarm, no one
spoke at the
UN Television
stakeout to
even summarize
the meeting on
Burundi.
Off camera, a
source who had
been in the
closed door
meeting told
Inner City
Press, "their
main concern
was about the
leak" of the
cable. Inner
City Press
first
published the
cable; the
full text is
below.
Update
of 7 pm --
After
publication of
the above, a
proponent of
the Security
Council's
performance on
this told
Inner City
Press that
while it's
being kept
quiet, there
are requests
that not only
the leak but
the substance
of the cable
be
investigated.
Another
questioned why
all that the
Council's
"pen-holder"
on Burundi
belatedly put
out about the
April 24 was a
tweet by its
political
coordinator.
Inner City
Press has
posed
questions.
We'll see.
On April 21,
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric if
the "PNG-ed"
UN staffer
left, and
about the
president now
meeting with
his youth
wing, video
here:
Inner
City Press: On
Burundi, you’d
said on
Thursday that
the UN was
troubled by
the “PNG”
letter. I
wanted to
know, one, the
head of
security, has
he complied
with the
letter from
the Government
and left. And
does the UN
have any
comment on the
President of
Burundi since
Thursday
having done a
meeting or a
rally with his
youth wing.
The same youth
wing that the
UN memo said
was being
handed
weapons.
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric: No.
I have… I
don’t know
what the
status of the
staff member
who was
“PNG-ed”. We
can check. And
on Burundi, I
think what we
had to say
last week
stands.
Is that good
enough, to
simply stand
on a past
statement as
new fact
unfold? On
April 21 the
Banque de la
Republic de
Burundi - the
nation's
central bank -
was enveloped
in smoke. The
excuse?
Burning bills.
Meanwhile
staff say
there are
threats. But
old UN
statements
"stand."
So Inner City
Press asked
the US State
Department
spokesperson,
albeit in a
Twitter
Q&A, for a
comment on the
President
meeting with
the youth
wing, and if
the government
did in fact
ask US
intelligence
to help
investigate
the cable. So
far, no
answer: review
here.
Twenty years
after the
"genocide fax"
from Rwanda to
the UN in New
York was
largely
ignored, for a
week earlier
this month
there was
little visible
reaction to a
strikingly
similar cable
from Burundi,
about AK-47s
being
distributed to
the youth-wing
of the Hutu
aligned CNDD
party.
And now one of
the authors of
the cable has
been ordered
to leave
Burundi in 48
hours, see
below.
Inner City
Press on April
9 put the
cable online,
submitting
questions
about it to UN
spokesperson
Stephane
Dujarric and
on April 10
online and at
the Security
Council
stakeout to
Ambassador
Gerard Araud
of France,
pen-holder on
Burundi in the
Council.
But it was US
Ambassador
Samantha Power
who took and
answered the
question,
telling Inner
City Press
that it is
very
troubling,
that there
have been fast
trials of 21
young
opposition
figures and a
threat to
change the
constitution
and now, these
reports. Video
here and
embedded
below.
At the April
10 noon
briefing, UN
spokesperson
Stephane
Dujarric who
had sent Inner
City Press a
wan response
to its April 9
questions
about the
cable (and
about actions
by one of the
three
addressees,
Herve Ladsous
of UN
Peacekeeping)
read out a
list of
contacts the
UN had made.
Inner City
Press asked if
the UN, whose
cable it was
and is, had
done anything
to check into
the weapons
given to the
youth-wing:
pistols in
February,
AK-47s since.
Dujarric said
he didn't
understand the
question and
had nothing to
add. Video
here.
Hours later,
the UN
Security
Council issued
a press
statement,
here.
And now, a
week later,
one of the UN
authors, Paul
Dobbie of the
UN Department
of Safety and
Security ("UN
Burundi Chief
Security
Adviser") has
been told to
leave Burundi
within 48
hours of April
17.
How
will Ban
Ki-moon's UN
react? Inner
City Press
asked on April
17, video
here.
That the cable
was in fact
sent from the
UN in Burundi
to three top
UN officials
-- Jeffrey
Feltman of the
Department of
Political
Affairs, Herve
Ladsous of UN
Peacekeeping
and Great
Lakes envoy
Mary Robinson
-- was
reliably
confirmed.
Inner City
Press and the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
put
this photo
online
here and here.
Below, the
full text of
the cable is
published.
On
April 9, UK
Mission to the
UN
spokesperson
Iona Thomas
replied to
Inner City
Press that "I
can confirm
that Feltman
raised this
issue in the
Council
discussion on
Burundi
yesterday and
members of the
Council
expressed
their concern
at the
reports."
UN
Spokesperson
Stephane
Dujarric, in
response to
Inner City
Press' request
for
confirmation
that Ladsous,
who was France's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
at the UN
during the
1994 Rwanda
genocide
against the
Tutsis,
had received
the Burundi
cable merely
pointed to a read-out
of Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
April 6
meeting with
Burundi's
First
Vice-President
of the
Republic of
Burundi
Prosper
Bazombanza.
That UN read-out
says that "the
Secretary-General
expressed
strong
concerns about
reports
concerning
activities of
Burundian
youth groups
and urged the
relevant
national
authorities to
investigate
these
reports."
But it is the
government
itself that is
accused of
distributing
pistols,
uniforms and
AK-47s to the
"youth
groups," which
the UN
read-out
leaves
unnamed. Is
this "Rights
Up Front"?
US
Ambassador
Samantha Power
traveled from
Rwanda to
Burundi and issued a
statement
that the
"United States
will provide
$7.5 million
in assistance
for the
Burundian
electoral
process" and
expressing
concerns,
here. It did
not directly
mention the
alleged
distribution
of weapons to
the Imbonerukure
or the cable.
France,
in
the same week
that it
snubbed the
Rwanda
genocide
commemoration
and called any
suggestion it
was complicit
in the 1994
killings
"disgraceful,"
holds the pen
on Burundi in
the Security
Council.
That is to
say, it was up
to France
after Feltman
came and
raised the
memo to then
pen and push
for fast
adoption some
output: a
resolution or
Statement. But
this did not
happen -- until
a week after
the cable.
Australia's
Ambassador to
the UN Gary
Quinlan
tweeted,
"#UNSC
discussed
deteriorating
situation in
#Burundi for
2nd time in 2
weeks - signs
of political
exclusion
&
oppression
deeply
concerning."
The
French Mission
to the UN --
the penholder
on Burundi --
was even less
specific:
"Under
Secretary
General
Jeffrey
Feltman has
briefed #UNSC
on current
political
tensions in
#Burundi."
So is the main
difference in
20 years since
the Rwanda
genocide the
speed of leaks
and of social
media?
Other
questions are
pending. Here
is the full
text of the
April 3, 2014
cable:
CONFIDENTIAL
OUTGOING
CODE
CABLE
TO:
FELTMAN,
UNATIONS, NEW
YORK
INFO:
LADSOUS,
UNATIONS, NEW
YORK
ROBINSON,
O-SESG-GL,
NAIROBI
FROM:
[for]
ONANGA-ANYANGA,
BNUB,
BUJUMBURA
DATE:
3 April 2014
REFERENCE:
CDN-037
SUBJECT:
Reports
of alleged
distribution
of weapons to
the
Imbonerakure
Summary:
Informs
on reports of
alleged
distribution
of weapons
[to] ruling
CNDD-youth
wing and
actions taken
by BNUB.
1.
"This follows
my cable
CND-022 of 26
February in
which I
informed of
allegations of
distribution
of weapons to
the ruling
CNDD-FCC youth
wing the
"Imbonerakure."
2.
Yesterday UN
Chief Security
Adviser (CSA)
in Burundi
conveyed the
following
message from
the DSS daily
sitrep:
"After
information
gathered from
key
informants,
there was
distribution
of weapons and
outfits
military and
police during
the months of
January and
February for
youth
affiliated to
the CNDD - FDD
(IMBONERAKURE)
party and the
demobilized
ex-AIMP
Rumonge. An
ad-hoc meeting
was held in a
hotel call[ed]
KUKANYAMUENZA
belonging to a
"General de
Brigade"
located
Nduwumunsi in
Rumonge. A
night training
for the
handling of
these weapons
would be
located on the
side of the
central prison
of Rumonge
(KUMUREMBWE)
and the
surrounding
population
would have
heard gunfire.
These same
activities
(distribution
of weapons)
would be
considered to
take place in
the commune of
Nyzana-Laca,
Kibago and
Mabanda in
Makamba
province.
Another face
which tends to
confirm the
news, these
are the
statements of
people who
participated
in these
meetings but
refused to
receive
weapons.
Two
generals
originating in
the province
of BURURI
ex-AIMP whose
names follow:
Bde General
Nduwumunsi
(currently
Director
General of
former
Combatants)
and General -
Major
Niyungeko
Jevenal aka
KIROHO
(currently
head of the
Office of
military
Cooperation)
would be
supervisors of
these
activities
(distributions
of weapons and
military and
police
uniforms). In
this meeting
they
emphasized
especially,
that the
beneficiaries
of these
weapons must
remain
vigilant and
that when
there is a
trigger that
each take care
of their
opponents in
their
proximity /
neighbourhood."
3. I
have
undertaken
consultations
with key
embassies
including
United States,
Belgium and
the
Netherlands,
all involved
in security
sector support
activities, to
corroborate
the
information
and plan to
raise the
matter with
the relevant
ministers. The
ambassadors
informed have
confirmed the
grave nature
of the
allegations
which if
confirmed may
have
implications
for bi-lateral
assistance
programmes.
Observations
4. CSA
in Burundi
confirmed the
reliability of
the sources.
5. The
Imbonerakure
actions have
been on the
rise since the
beginning of
the year and
are one of the
major threats
to peace in
Burundi and to
the
credibility of
the 2015
elections as
they are
responsible
for most
politically
motivated
violence
against
opposition.
BNUB has
documented 27
cases
implicating
the
Imbonerakure
so far in
2014, 23 of
which have
been
politically
motivated.
6. The
Imbonerakure
act in
collusion with
the local
authorities
and with total
impunity. In
the country
side they have
replaced the
law enforcing
agencies and
act as a
militia over
and above the
police, the
army and the
judiciary.
Opposition
parties have
repeatedly
complaint
[sic] about
the
Imbonerakure
violence.
7. One
can only
speculate
about the
purpose of the
distribution
of weapons and
uniforms in
Bururi which
is a
traditional
stronghold of
the UPRONA.
However the
last sentence
of the message
indicated a
highly
decentralized
chain of
command which
is consistent
with reliable
information on
Imbonerakure
modus operandi
on the ground.
8. In
February BNUB
had informed
of the
disappearance
of 500
uniforms from
military and
police
installations
as well as the
distribution
of 9mm
pistols.
Although not
confirmed
there are
indications
that the
weapons
distributed
this time can
be AK-47
assault
rifles. DSS
has also
informed in
the past of
radio messages
for the
population "to
be ready."
9. We
will continue
to closely
monitor the
situation and
keep you
informed.
Now
what? Watch
this site.
, 
