OHCHR / BURUNDI

The government of Burundi should allow international investigators into the country to independently look into the current human rights violations and to rule out a third force in the conflict, a senior UN official has said. OHCHR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:10
• Production Date: 22 December 2015
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: ADAMA DIENG
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: BURUNDI
• MAMS Id: 1537409
• Parent Id: 1537409
• Alternate Title: unifeed151222d

Description

STORY: OHCHR / BURUNDI
TRT: 02:10
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 DECEMBER 2015, GENEVA SWITZERLAND / FILE

Shotlist

RECENT – GENEVA SWITZERLAND

1. Med shot Flags, UN Geneva

16 DECEMBER 2015, GENEVA SWITZERLAND

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide:
“The regional actors have an important role to play. The East African community should be more vigilant. We have of course President Museveni of Uganda who is a facilitator. But I am afraid I don’t think this is going to give a very positive outcome. What we need today is maybe even to send someone else, either from Kenya, to help assist the Ugandan President. They are having elections, let’s be serious, I mean, I think they are more today concerned with their elections.”

FILE – APRIL 2015, BURUNDI

3. Med shot, protesters
4. Wide shot, protesters
5. Med shot, police

16 DECEMBER 2015, GENEVA SWITZERLAND

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide:
“What we need also is to investigate seriously the atrocities, the crimes which are being committed in Burundi and to bring to account the perpetrators of those crimes.”

FILE – APRIL 2015, BURUNDI

7. Close up, Burundian flag
8. Wide shot, Bujumbura street

16 DECEMBER 2015, GENEVA SWITZERLAND

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide:
“Unless accountability is also addressed as a serious way to bring to an end what is happening, we will not see the end of the tunnel and we will see a fragile solution. It is key that impunity no longer prevails in Burundi.”

FILE – APRIL 2015, BURUNDI

10. Med shot, Burundi police
11. Wide shot, Bujumbura riots

16 DECEMBER 2015, GENEVA SWITZERLAND

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide:
“I will not go to the extent of saying there is a third force, but we need to investigate that aspect. Because if we are told there are elements outside of Burundi who are now involved, who are providing resources, this needs to be investigated and that is why the government of Burundi should allow an independent investigation team to come to Burundi and look into these atrocities. And I am sure those investigators may identify if there is a third force or not.”

FILE – APRIL 2015, BURUNDI

13. Med shot, police running in the backdrop of an empty street

Storyline

The government of Burundi should allow international investigators into the country to independently look into the current human rights violations and to rule out a third force in the conflict, a senior UN official has said.

In an interview, Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide did not rule out external interference in the current conflict in the tiny central African nation but called for an independent investigation to look into the atrocities.

Dieng said “I will not go to the extent of saying there is a third force but we need to investigate that aspect – because if we are told there are elements outside of Burundi who are now involved, who are providing resources, this needs to be investigated and that is why the government of Burundi should allow an independent investigation team to come to Burundi and look into these atrocities. And I am sure those investigators may identify if there is a third force or not.”

Burundi descended into bloodshed last April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a controversial third term, which he went on to win in July.

Months of street protests turned into regular armed attacks with gunfire disrupting the nights, and bodies are found on city streets almost every day.

The spiralling violence has raised international alarm - a UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Burundi held last week heard the country was at the brink of civil war.

According to the UN, more than 400 people have so far been killed in the conflict and an estimated 230,000 have fled their homes.

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