“Interactive dialogue with: Commission of Inquiry on Burundi A/HRC/45/32"
Agenda Item 4: - Human rights situations that require the Council's attention
Statement by: International-Lawyers.Org
23 September 2020
Thank you, President,
We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s report and agree that the Imbonerakure is guilty of grave human rights abuses against Burundians. This militia has tortured and arbitrarily detained those who do not support its political party, has killed members of the opposing political party, and currently controls much of Burundi’s population by intimidation.
We are concerned that despite these, and other crimes committed by the Imbonerakure, the Burundian government has granted the group almost total impunity.
Also, we disapprove of the fact that to this day, members of the government use the Imbonerakure to replace state security forces. Because the conduct of the Imbonerakure is accepted by government officials, the State of Burundi is responsible for the militia’s offenses.
Additionally, many Burundian government officials are guilty of committing serious acts of corruption, including misappropriating public funds for personal gain. Largely because of this, 70 percent of Burundi lives in poverty.
International-Lawyers and Geneva International Centre for Justice call for:
- Immediate measures toward the reduction of Imbonerakure’s influence.
- The creation of a plan to reduce the systemic corruption present in much of the Burundian government.
Finally, we ask the Commission of Inquiry:
- How can the UN Human Rights Office best help the people of Burundi even though the UN Human Rights Office in Burundi was closed? Thank you.
Thank you.
Justice, Human rights, Geneva, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice
