On
Burundi, US
Says 3d Term
Violates
Arusha, No
Consensus in
UNSC
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
29 -- Amid the
crackdown
after
Pierre
Nkurunziza was
"nominated to
run" for a
third term as
President, the
UN Security
Council
belatedly met
on April 29.
Afterward
Inner City
Press asked
the Deputy
Permanent
Representative
of Jordan, the
month's Security
Council
president, if
there was
consensus in
the Council
that a third
term would
violate the
Arusha
Accords. No,
he told Inner
City Press.
(An
emergency
session on
Burundi by the
UN
Peacebuilding
Configuration
took place at
the same time;
its outcome is
not
clear.
When Inner
City Press
asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
when UN envoy
Said Djinnit
would answer
Press
questions, no
time was set.)
Now
US Ambassador
to the UN
Samantha Power
has issued
this:
"The
United States
condemns the
ongoing
political
violence
taking place
in Burundi and
the
government’s
crackdown on
media, civil
society, and
the political
opposition
this week,
including
reports today
that the
government has
taken steps to
restrict
access to the
internet and
social media.
These actions
– and those we
have seen over
the past year
– point to a
country that
has made great
progress but
sadly is now
moving in the
wrong
direction.
Today we see a
Burundi seized
by fear and at
severe risk of
deadly
violence.
But today we
also see a
Burundi that
still has the
time and means
to correct
course and get
back on the
path of
progress.
We deeply
regret the
decision by
the ruling
party to
nominate
President
Nkurunziza for
a third term
in violation
of the Arusha
Agreement.
President
Nkurunziza
himself has
been
consistently
dismissive of
the risks
inherent in
his
privileging
his
preservation
of power over
the critical
need to
respect the
terms of the
Arusha
compact.
Burundi’s
leaders must
end their
complacency
and now find
ways to avoid
violence and
decide on how
best to ensure
elections are
peaceful,
credible and
transparent.
The actions
the Burundian
government has
taken this
week undermine
this goal.
We call on the
government to
open a
dialogue with
members of the
opposition and
civil society
on steps to
ensure a
credible and
inclusive
electoral
process. We
call on the
Burundian
government to
respect the
rights of its
citizens to
gather
peacefully, to
allow
political
parties and
candidates to
campaign, and
to ensure an
open and
transparent
debate in
which diverse
views can be
aired. This
extends to
media and its
right to
report freely
on the
election
process
without fear
of
intimidation,
censorship or
arrest. We are
deeply
troubled by
the arrest of
hundreds of
protesters and
civil society
leaders, and
the shuttering
of independent
media outlets.
These arrests
and harassment
of peaceful
protesters and
the media must
stop. We call
on the
government to
grant UN human
rights staff
access to
hospitals and
prisons to
ensure the
needs of those
injured and
detained are
being
addressed and
their rights
respected. We
also call on
the opposition
to participate
constructively
in the
democratic
process and to
shun violence.
We reiterate
our intention
to hold
accountable
anyone on any
side of
Burundi’s
political
debate
responsible
for fomenting
violence. The
United States
is monitoring
the situation
closely and
will take
targeted
measures,
including by
denying U.S.
visas, to hold
accountable
those
individuals
who
participate
in, plan, or
order violence
against the
civilian
population.
The UN
Security
Council also
met today to
discuss the
deteriorating
situation in
Burundi and
heard
disturbing
reports about
developments
on the ground.
These include
the
unconfirmed
deaths of two
people, close
to three
hundred
arrested, and
22,000
refugees
flowing into
neighboring
countries.
Council
members
expressed deep
concern
regarding the
escalation of
violence and
political
tension in the
country as
well as the
restrictions
on freedom of
expression and
assembly.
Earlier this
month, the
Council also
expressed its
determination
to consider
action against
those who
actively
facilitate
violence,
including by
distributing
weapons to
youth groups.
President
Nkurunziza and
the people of
Burundi still
have an
opportunity to
choose peace
and to choose
progress.
Burundi’s
leaders must
recognize the
valuable role
that any
political
opposition,
civil society,
and media play
in a healthy,
open and
inclusive
democracy and
must make
space for
their
constructive
participation."
By
the end of
April 27 the
UN of Ban
Ki-moon had
said nothing.
So
on April 27
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq,
and got in
response an
"if-asked." Transcript here
and see
below.
Update:
On April 28,
Inner City
Press asked
the month's UN
Security
Council
president,
Dina Kawar of
Jordan, to
confirm that
Burundi would
be taken up by
the Council on
April 29. Yes,
she said, we
may have a
Burundi AOB
(Any Other
Business -
that is, added
item for
Security
Council
consultations.)
Now
belatedly Ban
Ki-moon has
issued this
statement:
"The
Secretary-General
condemns the
outbreak of
violence in
Burundi
following the
nomination of
President
Pierre
Nkurunziza as
the
presidential
candidate of
the ruling
National
Council for
the Defense of
Democracy–Forces
for the
Defense of
Democracy
(CNDD-FDD)
party. He
calls on the
Burundian
authorities to
conduct a
prompt
investigation
into the
deaths that
occurred
during the
recent
demonstrations
so that those
responsible
are held
accountable.
The
Secretary-General
has dispatched
his Special
Envoy for the
Great Lakes
Region, Said
Djinnit to
Burundi for
consultations
with President
Nkurunziza and
other
Government
authorities,
political
party leaders
and members of
the diplomatic
community. He
calls on the
Burundian
authorities to
uphold the
human rights
of all
Burundians,
including the
freedom of
assembly,
association
and
expression. He
calls on the
security
services to
remain
impartial and
exercise
restraint in
responding to
public
demonstrations.
He urges all
parties to
reject
violence and
avoid using
inflammatory
language or
hate speech
that could
further
increase
tensions.
The
Secretary-General
appeals to
Burundians to
safeguard the
hard won gains
made in
consolidating
peace and
democracy and
urges them to
resolve their
differences
through
dialogue. He
reiterates the
commitment of
the United
Nations to
support
peaceful,
credible and
inclusive
elections."
From the UN's
April 27
transcript:
Inner
City
Press:
On Burundi,
over the
weekend, the
ruling party
nominated the
current
president for
a third… to
run for a
third
term.
And there have
been
crackdowns by
the police,
the closure of
a radio
station, Radio
Public
Africaine, and
others… I'm
wondering
other
countries have
spoken.
What is the
UN's response
to what's
happened?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Yeah, we're
following the
situation in
Burundi very
closely and
we're deeply
concerned over
the violence
over the
weekend,
including of a
number of
deaths
following the
announcement
that the
president
would seek a
third term and
we urge a
swift
investigation
into the
violence.
Said Djinnit,
the Special
Envoy for the
Great Lakes is
in Bujumbura
to convey the
UN’s concerns
and work with
all parties on
defusing
tensions.
Perhaps as Ban
does more and
more, he will
"outsource"
the rest of
the UN's
reaction to
Geneva, while
he for example
cavorts with
those who,
like in
Burundi, go
after
independent
journalists.
In Burundi,
the RPA was
raided and
told to stop
live-streaming
the crackdown.
Where
is the UN
Security
Council, and
its
"pen-holder"
on Burundi, on
this?
Ban's office
has yet to
confirm
getting a
letter from
civil society
in Burundi,
below, just as
it hasn't
confirmed a
letter from parties in
Yemen
Inner City
Press asked
about on April
24. Perhaps
both are "lost
in the mail"
on the 38th
floor.
, 
