Human Rights Watch (HWR) has urged authorities in Burundi to take concrete actions to end widespread human rights violations.

The HWR made the call after the UN Commission of Inquiry confirmed HRW’s report that authorities in Burundi had committed grave human rights violations.

HWR had documented killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, beatings and extortion of Burundians in the buildup to the May 2020 general election.

The commission’s findings show a stark picture of the violence and brutality used by the Burundian authorities to maintain their hold on power.

Its findings that sexual violence was committed, including against men, in order to collect intelligence, often during detention at the National Intelligence Service, are of grave concern.

It was learnt that while many states now look towards engaging with Burundi’s new government, the commission’s report shows that the Burundian population continues to pay the price of the brutal tactics employed by the ruling party and its youth league.

Several persons identified as perpetrators of human rights violations hold high-level positions in the administration of Évariste Ndayishimiye or were promoted within the security and defence forces since his election.

Source: HRW

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