Human Right

UN Human Rights Commission condemns human rights violation in Burundi

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights says it is concerned about the video showing young men affiliated to the ruling party calling for rape against females from the opposition.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein: “The Government needs to stop pretending that the Imbonerakure are nothing but a community development group”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein: “The Government needs to stop pretending that the Imbonerakure are nothing but a community development group”

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed on 18 April a great alarm at an apparent widespread pattern of rallies in several provinces across Burundi where the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling party CNDD-FDD, repeatedly chant a slogan calling for the impregnation of females from the opposition parties.

A video circulating on social media shows more than 100 youths affiliated to the ruling party repeating dozens of times a chant whose message is to “make female opponents pregnant so that they can give birth to Imbonerakure”. The rally took place in Ntega commune, Kirundo province, in the northeast of the country.

Following the release of the video, CNDD-FDD issued, on 5 April 2017, a statement condemning the chant. “Whenever there are messages that conform to neither the morals nor the ideology of our party, we will denounce them. Sanctions could be envisaged. The party’s disciplinary committee is already at work to identify the culprits,” said Nancy Ninette Mutoni, the National Secretary for Information and Communication within CNDD-FDD.

The United Nations Human Rights Commission report indicates that similar larger rallies have been organized across the country.  These organized rallies come to corroborate the reports of ongoing serious human rights violations by local and international organizations, according to Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

“The Government needs to stop pretending that the Imbonerakure are nothing but a community development group,” said Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein.

Conspiracy against the Government of Burundi

Hamza Burikukiye, Chairman of the collective of associations of people living with HIV/AIDS (CAPES +) says statements by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, are part of a conspiracy against Burundi.

“This is dictated by the fear of the CNDD-FDD party’s strength. “The popularity of the party in power continues to spread throughout the country. This commissioner does not appreciate it,” says Burikukiye.

Tatien Sibomana, a member of UPRONA party, says every person living in Burundi witnesses the fear caused by the Imbonerakure. He says Burundian authorities support these young people.” They arrest police officers and soldiers, torture people and rape women with impunity,” says Sibomana.

This political opponent warns of a probable genocide if nothing is immediately done to stop this situation,

Keywords: