This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/world/africa/burundi-violence.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Violence in Burundi Prompts Call for U.N. Investigation Violence in Burundi Prompts Call for U.N. Investigation
(35 minutes later)
GENEVA — Responding to chilling accounts of mass killings in Burundi, the United Nations’ top human rights body aimed to adopt a United States-led resolution calling for an international investigation, in the hopes of preventing escalating violence from igniting wider regional conflict.GENEVA — Responding to chilling accounts of mass killings in Burundi, the United Nations’ top human rights body aimed to adopt a United States-led resolution calling for an international investigation, in the hopes of preventing escalating violence from igniting wider regional conflict.
Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, called on Burundi’s leaders to disarm pro-government militias, halt torture and resume political dialogue, and saying that sanctions, asset freezes and travel bans should be imposed on those responsible for abuses. The country’s borders should be monitored to cut off the flow of arms, he added. Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, called on Burundi’s leaders to disarm pro-government militias, halt torture and resume political dialogue, saying that sanctions, asset freezes and travel bans should be imposed on those responsible for abuses. The country’s borders should be monitored to cut off the flow of arms, he added.
“Burundi is at bursting point, on the very cusp of a civil war,” Mr. al-Hussein told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. “The time for piecemeal responses and fiddling round the edges is over.”“Burundi is at bursting point, on the very cusp of a civil war,” Mr. al-Hussein told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. “The time for piecemeal responses and fiddling round the edges is over.”
At least 400 people have died in the conflict in the east African nation since April, many of them in extrajudicial killings, Mr. al-Hussein reported. The violence stems from protests that began after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term.At least 400 people have died in the conflict in the east African nation since April, many of them in extrajudicial killings, Mr. al-Hussein reported. The violence stems from protests that began after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term.
At least 3,496 people have been arrested, and human rights activists and independent journalists have fled.At least 3,496 people have been arrested, and human rights activists and independent journalists have fled.
“There is a growing, alarming risk of regionalization of this crisis,” Mr. al-Hussein said, noting that an estimated 220,000 people had left for neighboring countries to escape the violence and intimidation that he said is catapulting Burundi back to its “deeply troubled, dark and horrendously violent past.” “There is a growing, alarming risk of regionalization of this crisis,” Mr. al-Hussein said, noting that an estimated 220,000 people had left for neighboring countries to escape the violence and intimidation that he said was catapulting Burundi back to its “deeply troubled, dark and horrendously violent past.”
At least 87 people were killed in the capital, Bujumbura, last week when the police and security forces reacted to attacks on two military camps, he said, though reports to his office suggested the figure was much higher. At least 87 people were killed in the capital, Bujumbura, last week when the police and security forces reacted to attacks on two military camps, he said, though he added that reports to his office had suggested the figure was much higher.
The police locked down opposition strongholds and conducted door-to-door searches, dragging young men from their houses and reportedly killing some of them on the spot, he said.The police locked down opposition strongholds and conducted door-to-door searches, dragging young men from their houses and reportedly killing some of them on the spot, he said.
Elisa Nkerabirori, a representative of Burundi’s Human Rights Ministry, pinned responsibility for the violence on radical members of the opposition and on urban guerrillas and praised the “professionalism” of the police and army. Elisa Nkerabirori, a representative of Burundi’s Human Rights Ministry, pinned responsibility for the violence on radical members of the opposition and on urban guerrillas, and she praised the “professionalism” of the police and army.
A resolution submitted to the high commission by the United States and set to be considered on Thursday called on the body to send a team of experts to Burundi as soon as possible to investigate the reports of abuses and return their findings in March. A resolution submitted to the high commission by the United States and set to be considered on Thursday called on the body to send a team of experts to Burundi as soon as possible to investigate the reports of abuses and to return their findings in March.
The initiative came a day after the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, decided to send his special envoy, Jamal Benomar, to meet with the authorities in Burundi and with members of the African Union.The initiative came a day after the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, decided to send his special envoy, Jamal Benomar, to meet with the authorities in Burundi and with members of the African Union.
Inflammatory rhetoric by government leaders in recent weeks evoked memories of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and the civil war in Burundi from 1993 to 2005.Inflammatory rhetoric by government leaders in recent weeks evoked memories of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and the civil war in Burundi from 1993 to 2005.
“We cannot afford to stand by as the international community did at that time,” said Adama Dieng, the United Nations special adviser on genocide, recalling that more than 300,000 were killed in the conflict in Burundi at that time.“We cannot afford to stand by as the international community did at that time,” said Adama Dieng, the United Nations special adviser on genocide, recalling that more than 300,000 were killed in the conflict in Burundi at that time.