The U.N. human rights chief says an explosion of violence
is coming to Burundi.
The expected rise in violence is in reaction to the president's decision to seek a
third term, a crackdown by security forces and a wave of killings by the ruling
party youth wing known as the Imbonerakure.
Zeid Raad al-Hussein told the U.N. Security Council the “risk to
human life and regional stability and is high”.
Burundi has a long and dark history of politically and ethnically motivated
violence.
Al Hussein said his office documented dozens of killings over the past
two months, most being the shootings of demonstrators and human rights
defenders by the Imbonerakure and security forces.
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| Members of the Imonerakure (seen above) are accused of political and ethnic killings in Burundi |
Zeid urged the government to disarm the Imbonerakure youth wing of the
ruling CNDD-FDD party immediately.
Zeid cited reports of demonstrators being
imprisoned and tortured, as well as case of extrajudicial
killings.
He added that refugees fleeing Burundi have reported "targeted
campaigns of intimidation and terror," and say the Imbonerakure militia
are "the main threat.”