This decision includes the opening of an investigation on human rights violations throughout the country, the adoption of targeted sanctions against all individuals who contribute to the violence, an increase in the number of human rights observers deployed by the African Union in Burundi, and the initiation of an inter-Burundian dialogue. It should also enable the AU to prepare a monthly report on the human rights in the country.
The decision was taken after intense advocacy by FIDH and its Burundian member organisation ITEKA and directly echoes the FIDH’s recommendations to the AU. In a situation marked by continuing violence, whose main victims are civilians, our organisations will continue their struggle to ensure that the measures taken by the AU are turned into actions in the shortest possible time.
The African Union takes on human rights crisis in Burundi
On 17 October 2015 the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union adopted an important decision that will allow the AU to closely monitor the human rights situation in Burundi and to intervene in order to prevent all widespread violence.