This resolution follows on the heels of the FIDH and ITEKA League demands made prior to the session, in a note documenting the violations and crimes committed in Burundi during a referendum on the Constitution which will enable President Pierre Nkurunziza to stay in power until 2034. Our organisations regularly send information to ACHPR on the situation in Burundi and continuously urge the Commission to take strong measures in support of human rights in the country. Our organisations were pleased to hear about the Commission’s request to the Burundi authorities to be able to undertake a human rights promotion mission in the country.
The African Commission condemns the crimes committed in Burundi and calls for dialogue
At its 62nd ordinary session (25 April-5 May 2018) the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) adopted a resolution condemning the continuous human rights violations committed in Burundi, in particular, “the continued forced displacement of populations, arbitrary arrests and detentions, targeted killings, extrajudicial executions, acts of torture …” The Commission is calling for transparent, impartial investigation in order to hold all those responsible for these crimes accountable before the law and to fight impunity. The Commission also insists on the urgency of holding peace talks in order to bring the present crisis to an end.