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.

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.

The Burundian authorities should ensure a speedy, independent, and thorough investigation into the killing on April 9 of prominent anti-corruption activist Ernest Manirumva.

Burundi's parliament should respect its human rights obligations and reject a pending criminal code revision that would outlaw consensual homosexual conduct.

The Burundian National Assembly adopted important human rights advances in a penal code voted in on November 22, 2008, including abolishing the death penalty and making torture, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity punishable under Burundian law. But three changes to the code are detrimental to human rights. These changes would make consensual homosexual conduct a criminal offense, decriminalize arbitrary detention by state agents, and limit the responsibility of the state to address spousal violence.