- Title: Burundi leadership answerable for crimes against humanity, U.N. denounces
- Date: 4th September 2017
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 4, 2017) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING U.N. STAFF AND JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF THE U.N. COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON BURUNDI FATSAH OUGUERGOUZ SAYING: "The Commission reached the conclusion that a certain number of serious human rights violations have been committed in Burundi, since April 2015. Among these violations, are to be found arbitrary arrests and detentions, acts of torture and other cruel and inhumane or degrading treatments, extra-judicial executions, rapes and other sexual violence as well as enforced disappearances." U.N. STAFF AND JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF THE U.N. COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON BURUNDI FATSAH OUGUERGOUZ SAYING: "At the end of its investigations, the commission can conclude that there are reasonable grounds for believing that most of these serious human rights violations constitute crimes against humanity. The acts the commission documented, under the article seven of the Rome status which is the applicable law in this situation, these acts, as judged by the commission, were perpetrated in the frame of a generalized, or systematic, attack against the civilian population, with the knowledge that such an attack was being undertaken. And these acts are besides also part of a policy of the state of Burundi." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF THE U.N. COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON BURUNDI FATSAH OUGUERGOUZ SAYING: "The potential authors of these acts are mainly to be found among the members of the intelligence service, of Burundi's national police, and of the national defense force, of Burundi's army. To these presumed authors must be added the members of the league of the ruling party, the CNDD - FDT or the Imborenakure." U.N. STAFF AND JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY FRANCOISE HAMPSON SAYING: "The one thing that strikes you most forcibly, is that as long as impunity continues, so do human rights violations, and the commission of international crimes. The fight against impunity, including in Burundi, has to be the top priority." U.N. BUILDING
- Embargoed: 18th September 2017 12:22
- Keywords: Burundi violence crimes against humanity United Nations Fatsah Ouguergouz
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016X6LA2V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Burundian officials at the highest level should be held accountable for crimes against humanity committed in Burundi since April 2015, and a list of suspects has been drawn up, a U.N. Commission of Inquiry said on Monday (September 4).
The commission said there were reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed in the country since April 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would ask a new term in office, triggering a descent into chaos and violence.
According to the Commission, the intelligence service, the police and the army are widely responsible for these crimes, which were a part of the Burundi state's policy. The youth league of the ruling party, the Imbonerakure, also took part in the commission of those crimes, receiving instructions to commit human rights violations from Nkurunziza's office.
The report of the year-long inquiry, created by the U.N. Human Rights council in September 2016, was based on more than 500 interviews with victims, witnesses and other sources, the members of the Commission detailed during the presser.
Burundi's government refused all dialogue and cooperation.
The inquiry fell short of alleging genocide by Burundi government, but says its statements create a climate of hate, fear and could rekindle ethnic tensions.
Burundi is under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), although it is withdrawing, and the commission called on the ICC to initiate an investigation as soon as possible. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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