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Burundi’s Forces Are Engaging in Gang Rape, U.N. Official Says Burundi’s Forces Are Engaging in Gang Rape, U.N. Official Says
(35 minutes later)
GENEVA — Burundi’s security forces are engaging in gang rape as part of a crackdown on political opponents that has included a sharp rise in torture, killings and disappearances in the past month, the top United Nations human rights official said on Friday, sounding an alarm over the increasingly ethnic character of the violence. GENEVA — Burundi’s security forces are engaging in gang rape during a crackdown on political opponents that has included a sharp rise in torture, killings and disappearances in the past month, the top United Nations human rights official said on Friday, sounding an alarm over the increasingly ethnic character of the violence.
The charge of sexual violence adds a brutal new twist to a deepening nine-month-old crisis that has put Burundi, a poor, tiny nation in Central Africa, onto the agenda of the United Nations Security Council and the African Union. The charge of sexual violence adds a brutal new twist to a deepening nine-month crisis that has put Burundi, a poor, tiny nation in Central Africa, on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council and the African Union.
The United Nations said that at least 439 people, including many critics and people suspected of being opponents of the government, had been killed, and that close to quarter of a million had fled to neighboring countries since President Pierre Nkurunziza decided in April to run for a third term. The United Nations said that at least 439 people, including many critics and people suspected of being opponents of the government, had been killed, and that close to a quarter of a million had fled to neighboring countries since President Pierre Nkurunziza decided in April to run for a third term.
“All the alarm signals, including the increasing ethnic dimension of the crisis, are flashing red,” Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement released in Geneva. He reported that his office had identified mass graves, including one in a military camp.“All the alarm signals, including the increasing ethnic dimension of the crisis, are flashing red,” Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement released in Geneva. He reported that his office had identified mass graves, including one in a military camp.
“A complete breakdown in law and order is just around the corner,” he added, citing a rise in armed opposition to the government, along with heightened violence between Burundi’s mainly Hutu leaders and its Tutsi population. “This will inevitably end in disaster if the current rapidly deteriorating trajectory continues.”“A complete breakdown in law and order is just around the corner,” he added, citing a rise in armed opposition to the government, along with heightened violence between Burundi’s mainly Hutu leaders and its Tutsi population. “This will inevitably end in disaster if the current rapidly deteriorating trajectory continues.”
In a bid to halt that trajectory, representatives of the Security Council’s 15 member states will visit Burundi this month after a stop in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to confer with leaders attending an African Union summit meeting that starts on Jan. 23.In a bid to halt that trajectory, representatives of the Security Council’s 15 member states will visit Burundi this month after a stop in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to confer with leaders attending an African Union summit meeting that starts on Jan. 23.
The Security Council’s visit comes hard on the heels of a report to the body by the United Nations peacekeeping department, warning that the United Nations did not have enough troops or resources to cope with a civil war or violence “amounting to genocide” in Burundi, and emphasizing the need for political dialogue and the deployment of an African Union mission.The Security Council’s visit comes hard on the heels of a report to the body by the United Nations peacekeeping department, warning that the United Nations did not have enough troops or resources to cope with a civil war or violence “amounting to genocide” in Burundi, and emphasizing the need for political dialogue and the deployment of an African Union mission.
But Mr. Nkurunziza brusquely rejected African Union plans to send 5,000 peacekeepers last month, threatening to attack any troops entering the country. At the same time, his security forces responded to an opposition attack on military bases in the capital, Bujumbura, last month, targeting people suspected of being opponents with increasing ferocity, Mr. al-Hussein said.But Mr. Nkurunziza brusquely rejected African Union plans to send 5,000 peacekeepers last month, threatening to attack any troops entering the country. At the same time, his security forces responded to an opposition attack on military bases in the capital, Bujumbura, last month, targeting people suspected of being opponents with increasing ferocity, Mr. al-Hussein said.
Police officers and troops, supported by pro-government militia members, had rounded up “considerable numbers” of young men and said that many had been killed, tortured or disappeared into unknown locations, sometimes forcing victims to dig their own graves. Police officers and troops, supported by pro-government militia members, have rounded up “considerable numbers” of young men and have said that many were killed, tortured or disappeared into unknown locations, with some victims forced to dig their own graves.
The United Nations documented nine mass graves it said it believed contained at least 100 bodies and recorded at least 130 people killed in December, double the number from the previous month. But human rights officials said they believed the number of deaths to be much higher.The United Nations documented nine mass graves it said it believed contained at least 100 bodies and recorded at least 130 people killed in December, double the number from the previous month. But human rights officials said they believed the number of deaths to be much higher.
Mr. al-Hussein said his staff had documented 13 cases of sexual violence against women, describing a pattern of events in which security forces entered victims’ houses, separated women from their families and raped them — in some instances, involving multiple attackers. One case involved the reported rape of five women in one house.Mr. al-Hussein said his staff had documented 13 cases of sexual violence against women, describing a pattern of events in which security forces entered victims’ houses, separated women from their families and raped them — in some instances, involving multiple attackers. One case involved the reported rape of five women in one house.
One victim reported that her attacker had told her she was paying the price for her Tutsi ethnicity, Mr. al-Hussein reported, reinforcing fears that the violent crackdown by the Hutu-led government was increasingly taking on an ethnic character.One victim reported that her attacker had told her she was paying the price for her Tutsi ethnicity, Mr. al-Hussein reported, reinforcing fears that the violent crackdown by the Hutu-led government was increasingly taking on an ethnic character.
He cited testimony from one witness that Tutsis had been systematically killed in one Bujumbura neighborhood while Hutus were spared. Residents of other neighborhoods had reported that arrests mainly targeted the Tutsi population.He cited testimony from one witness that Tutsis had been systematically killed in one Bujumbura neighborhood while Hutus were spared. Residents of other neighborhoods had reported that arrests mainly targeted the Tutsi population.
The United Nations Human Rights Council voted last month to send an international team to investigate abuses. Three experts appointed by Mr. al-Hussein are preparing to leave in 10 days but had yet to receive visas allowing them into the country, Mr. al-Hussein’s spokesman, Rupert Colville, said.The United Nations Human Rights Council voted last month to send an international team to investigate abuses. Three experts appointed by Mr. al-Hussein are preparing to leave in 10 days but had yet to receive visas allowing them into the country, Mr. al-Hussein’s spokesman, Rupert Colville, said.
As many as one million people were killed in 1994 in Rwanda, Burundi’s neighbor to the north, when members of that country’s Hutu majority slaughtered Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The United Nations was faulted for an ineffective response to that genocide. Western countries have been closely monitoring the situation in Burundi since last spring. As many as one million people were killed in 1994 in Rwanda, Burundi’s neighbor to the north, when members of that country’s Hutu majority slaughtered Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The United Nations was faulted for an ineffective response to that genocide. Western countries have been closely monitoring the situation in Burundi since the spring.