publications

<<previous  | index  |  next>>

II. Recommendations

To the Government of Burundi:

  • Implement the existing ceasefire.

  • Take all necessary steps to ensure that all members of the Burundian armed forces and of the government-sponsored paramilitary force, the Guardians of the Peace respect international humanitarian law, including facilitating access of humanitarian agencies to needy populations.

  • Investigate all persons accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law and bring them to trial as soon as provisional immunity measures are ended.

  • Speed reforms of the civilian and military justice systems and assure those systems adequate means to carry out their mandated activities.

  • Ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court without making a declaration under article 124 that would permit postponing competence of the court for war crimes.

  • Adopt legislation prohibiting the recruitment of children under the age of eighteen years old for military service and recruit no children under that age; continue collaborating with UNICEF and other child protection agencies in demobilizing children now in the armed forces or in the Guardians of the Peace.

To the FDD:

  • Implement the existing ceasefire.

  • Order all combatants under your authority to observe international humanitarian law, including facilitating access of humanitarian agencies to needy populations.

  • Hold accountable all combatants under your authority accused of violations of international humanitarian law.

  • Cease recruiting children under the age of eighteen years old and demobilize immediately any children under that age into the care of UNICEF and other child protection agencies. .

To the FNL:

  • Order all combatants under your authority to observe international humanitarian law, including facilitating access of humanitarian agencies to needy populations.

  • Hold accountable all combatants under your authority accused of violations of international humanitarian law.

  • Cease recruiting children under the age of eighteen years old and demobilize immediately any children under that age into the care of UNICEF and other child protection agencies.

To the African Union and the States Providing Troops to the African Mission in Burundi :

  • Ensure that troops are provided with the necessary training and equipment to protect civilians in a robust manner.

  • Create a human rights unit in the force to document and report on violations of human rights whether committed by Burundian government troops, rebel combatants, or members of the African mission force.

To Regional Leaders and the Mediator:

  • Use all your influence to persuade the Burundian government and the FDD to strictly abide by their agreements with one another; urge them to narrow as far as possible the immunity from prosecution granted by the Pretoria Protocol, both by restricting its duration and by insisting that it not apply to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
  • Use all your influence to persuade the Burundian government, the FDD, and the FNL to order soldiers or combatants under their authority to observe international humanitarian law.

To the Government of Tanzania:

  • Continue to protect and assist Burundian refugees displaced by conflict with the aid and cooperation of the international community.

  • Ensure that no refugee from Burundi is forced to return in violation of the fundamental norm of nonrefoulement.

To Donor Governments:

  • Use all your influence to persuade the Burundian government and the FDD to strictly abide by their agreements with one another; urge them to narrow as far as possible the immunity from prosecution granted by the Pretoria Protocol, both by restricting its duration and by insisting that it not apply to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
  • Use all your influence to persuade the Burundian government, the FDD, and the FNL to order soldiers or combatants under their authority to observe international humanitarian law.
  • Provide financial and technical support to the African Mission in Burundi.

  • Insist that the Burundian government speed reforms in military and civilian justice and provide resources, human and financial, to enable it to make such reforms.

To the United Nations Security Council:

  • Establish promptly an international commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Burundi since 1962 as requested by the Burundian government and stipulated under the Arusha Accords.

To the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur for Burundi:

  • Urge the government of Burundi and the FDD to narrow as far as possible the immunity from prosecution granted by the Pretoria Protocol, both by restricting its duration and by insisting that it not apply to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
  • Assist the African Mission in Burundi with training and other resources needed to establish a unit for monitoring human rights violations in Burundi.

To the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:

  • Provide all possible protection and assistance to returning Burundian refugees within the constraints of policy and resources.


<<previous  |  index  |  next>>

December 2003