Source: Amnesty International –
By Tigere Chagutah
It has been 10 years since a political crisis erupted in Burundi. Peaceful demonstrations against a controversial third term in office by the late president, Pierre Nkurunziza, were met with brutal repression by security forces. An attempted coup, while Nkurunziza attended a meeting in Tanzania, intensified the government’s violent response, leading to scores of targeted killings, torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence. Ten years on, the country is yet to reckon with and move on from these events.
It is in this context that Burundians were called to the polls on 5 June for legislative and local elections. Key opposition leaders, including former warlord Agathon Rwasa, along with their political parties, were barred from participating. The ruling party, the Conseil National pour la Défense de la Démocratie (CNDD-FDD), claimed a landslide victory, with over 96% of the vote, according to final results confirmed by the Constitutional Court.
The impunity that followed Burundi’s 2015 crisis has emboldened authorities to continue repressing peaceful dissent and violating other human rights with little consequence. Despite periods of relative calm since the 2020 elections and the death of former President Nkurunziza, systemic abuses persist, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the silencing of civil society and the media. The repressive structures established before and during the 2015 crisis remain intact, with the Imbonerakure youth league continuing to intimidate and assault perceived opponents. Recent incidents such as the sentencing of Dr. Christopher Sahabo on politically motivated charges, attacks on journalists like Willy Kwizera, and President Ndayishimiye’s inflammatory rhetoric against human rights defenders and LGBTIQ+ people, underscore how a lack of accountability for past crimes has sustained a culture of repression and fear.
A Crisis Rooted in Political Exclusion and Impunity
The 2015 crisis did not arise in a void. It was the result of deep-seated political tensions, a history of exclusionary governance, and a legacy of impunity for human rights abuses and violations. Many people believe that the ruling party’s decision to ignore the Arusha Accords of 2000, (an agreement that had helped restore peace after a decade-long civil war), by extending presidential term limits without national consensus was a significant breach of trust and violated the social contract established with Burundians.
The impunity that followed Burundi’s 2015 crisis has emboldened authorities to continue repressing peaceful dissent and violating other human rights with little consequence.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
In our investigations following the events of 2015, Amnesty International uncovered mass graves that concealed evidence of horrific massacres. More than 400,000 people fled the country, with many still living in exile today. Despite efforts at political dialogue, supported by regional institutions like the East African Community, there has been little to no meaningful accountability for the abuses committed before, during and after the crisis. The failure to ensure that suspected perpetrators are brought to justice and victims are provided with access to justice and effective remedies has left wounds unhealed, and undermined trust in national and regional institutions.
Imperative for Justice and Accountability
The lack of independent investigations and judicial action on past and present abuses highlights a broader crisis of accountability in Burundi. Since 2015, the National Human Rights Commission has faced allegations of inaction at a time when many placed their last hopes for a semblance of justice in it. On 5 May, the National Assembly elected new commissioners to lead the national human rights body. The newly established team must fulfil their duty to investigate abuses and violations and assist the Burundian government in upholding its human rights obligations.
Justice and accountability are not only a moral imperative, but a necessity for sustainable peace in Burundi and the African Great Lakes region. The country cannot move forward without a genuine reckoning with its past. The critical work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission must not be used to advance the interests of the ruling party but deliver the truth and true reconciliation of the people of Burundi. This must go hand in hand with justice and accountability mechanisms, as recommended in the Arusha Accords, including the establishment of a Special Tribunal.
The country has all to gain by engaging in a genuine and inclusive dialogue that involves all stakeholders, including political actors, civil society, women and young people to restore trust and build a shared vision for the future.
Tigere Chagutah
It is also time for the government to show a commitment to human rights and the rule of law by ensuring independent judicial investigations and cooperating with regional and international bodies, including the International Criminal Court, which opened an investigation into the Burundi situation in October 2017. It must implement the recommendations of the 2015 African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ fact-finding mission report, which emphasized the need for accountability for past and present crimes to address the issue of impunity in the country.
Beyond justice, Burundi urgently needs a comprehensive human rights and rule of law-based solution to address the root causes of conflict and division. The country has all to gain by engaging in a genuine and inclusive dialogue that involves all stakeholders, including political actors, civil society, women and young people to restore trust and build a shared vision for the future.
Key principles of the 2000 Arusha Accords on respect for human rights and national unity remain as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. Reviving this spirit of dialogue is critical if Burundi is to escape the cycle of crisis and repression.
Ten years on, we honor the memory of those who suffered and continue to suffer the consequences of the 2015 crisis and previous cycles of violence. Justice delayed is a hindrance to healing, social cohesion, and the stability of the country and the region.
Tigere Chagutah is Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa regional office
This opinion piece first ran in French in La Libre Afrique.
https://afrique.lalibre.be/79733/dix-ans-apres-reflexions-sur-la-crise-silencieuse-au-burundi/