Burundi’s government should hold accountable those on all sides responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity during and prior to Burundi’s 16-year armed conflict. The statement marks the fifth anniversary of a massacre at the Gatumba refugee camp.

Recognizing our obligation to help protect human rights and uphold the rule of law, we, the undersigned civil society organizations, appeal to African ICC States Parties to reaffirm their support for the ICC and their commitment to abide by their obligations under the Rome Statute, particularly in relation to the arrest and transfer of the President of Sudan to the ICC.

An April 2009 law that criminalizes homosexual conduct threatens to exacerbate the deplorable treatment of gays and lesbians in Burundi.

The Tanzanian and Ugandan governments should ensure that refugees living in camps due to close on June 30 and July 31, 2009 are not forcibly returned to their home countries and are immediately given full information about their options.

The government of Burundi should take urgent measures to end politically motivated killings, assaults, and arbitrary arrests.

The Burundian government's decision to criminalize homosexual conduct violates fundamental human rights and should be reversed immediately.

Human Rights Watch joins 62 Burundian and international human rights organizations in this petition urging the Burundian government to repeal Article 567 of the new Penal Code, which criminalizes consensual same-sex relations.

Although the Security Council has identified six grave violations against children in armed conflict, to date it has focused primarily on the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Other violations affect much larger numbers of children, and result in terrible and long-lasting consequences, but have not received the same focused international response.