• Human Rights in Burundi

    Burundi saw some positive developments in 2011 with the creation of a National Independent Human Rights Commission and steps towards establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. However, political violence escalated in the aftermath of the 2010 elections, with scores of politically-motivated killings in 2011. Members of both the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) and the former rebel group the National Liberation Forces (FNL) have used violence to settle political scores, with widespread impunity. While Burundian civil society and the press remain active and independent, civil society activists and journalists face constant harassment and intimidation for reporting human rights abuses.

  • © 2011 Human Rights Watch
    Burundi: Human Rights Recommendations for Geneva Conference

    The conference in Geneva on October 29-30, 2012, bringing together the Burundian government, foreign governments, development partners, civil society organizations and other interlocutors, is an opportunity for the Burundian government and donors alike to prioritize human rights reforms and make concrete commitments to the protection of human rights.

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Burundi

  • Burundi: Human Rights Recommendations for Geneva Conference
    Oct 26, 2012

    The conference in Geneva on October 29-30, 2012, bringing together the Burundian government, foreign governments, development partners, civil society organizations and other interlocutors, is an opportunity for the Burundian government and donors alike to prioritize human rights reforms and make concrete commitments to the protection of human rights.

  • Burundi: Make Human Rights a Conference Priority
    Oct 26, 2012

    The Burundian government and partners attending a conference on development in Burundi should make human rights issues a top priority. The conference in Geneva on October 29 and 30, 2012, will bring together representatives of the Burundian government, foreign governments, donor agencies, and others.

  • Burundi: Universal Periodic Review Submission July 2012
    Jul 10, 2012
  • Burundi govt should promote, not stifle, debate about roots of political violence
    May 28, 2012
  • Burundi: Verdict in Activist's Killing Fails to Deliver Justice
    May 23, 2012
    The verdict on May 22, 2012, in the trial of those accused of killing Ernest Manirumva, a Burundian anti-corruption activist, has been a missed opportunity to deliver justice, 20 Burundian and international nongovernmental organizations said today in a joint statement. The outcome was a grave disappointment to those who have campaigned for his killers to be held to account, as potentially important evidence in the case was not pursued.
  • Burundi: Effort to Block a Report About Political Killings
    May 4, 2012
    The Burundian Interior Minister ordered Human Rights Watch to cancel a news conference in the capital, Bujumbura, on May 2, 2012, that was planned to release a report on political violence in Burundi. The police also ordered Human Rights Watch to stop distribution of the report in Burundi.
  • Burundi: Escalation of Political Violence in 2011
    May 2, 2012

    Scores of people have been killed in political attacks in Burundi since the end of 2010. The killings, some by state agents and members of the ruling party, others by armed opposition groups, reflect widespread impunity, the inability of the state to protect its citizens, and an ineffective judiciary.

  • Burundi: Stop Menacing the Media
    Nov 21, 2011

    Burundi government officials should halt their intensifying pressure on journalists. In the last few weeks, journalists have been summonsed by state prosecuting authorities for questioning with increasing frequency in response to radio broadcasts implicating state agents in alleged human rights abuses.

  • Burundi: Strengthen Support for National Human Rights Commission
    Oct 6, 2011

    The Burundian government should strengthen its support for the recently established National Independent Human Rights Commission. 

  • Burundi: Investigate Deadly Bar Shooting
    Sep 20, 2011
    Burundian authorities should urgently investigate the massacre on September 18, 2011, of dozens of people in a popular bar in Gatumba, about 15 kilometers west of the capital, Bujumbura.
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