Burundi gov't rejects UN Human Rights Council resolution

The Burundian government has rejected the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution issued Friday last week, arguing that the Council worked on a "biased" report, the Burundian government said Monday in a statement.

"Members of the UN Human Rights Council sitting in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday last week worked on a biased report whose goal was to pave the way for a resolution," said Burundian Government Spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba.

He indicated that the Burundian government has taken note of the resolution, but accused the European Union (EU) to be behind the resolution.

"It is clear that the draft resolution was prepared and proposed by the EU that took ownership of a report made on Sept. 9, 2016 by three experts calling themselves UN independent investigators. The report was itself biased," said Nzobonariba in the statement.

He indicated that the resolution is aimed at destabilizing Burundi.

Nzobonariba said, "The Burundian government gave responses to the UN Human Rights Council on time, but it is regrettable that that they were not taken into consideration in the resolution adopted last week."

Members of the UN Human Rights Council Friday passed a resolution after adopting a report by three UN independent experts on "gross and abundant" human rights violations in Burundi from April 15, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

In the report, the experts documented 564 executions committed by the government and affiliated groups.

The report also confirmed targeted assassinations, arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence.

According to the report, executions have been committed on a large scale by security forces, often supported by the ruling party's youth wing known as Imbonerakure, adding that the majority of the victims were opposed, or perceived to be opposed, to the third term of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Meanwhile, the Burundian government said that the UN independent experts only focused their assignment on wrong information provided by anonymous testimonies instead of doing a real research.

Nzobonariba indicated that the Burundian government remains committed to cooperating with the international community, particularly the UN in the strict respect of independence and sovereignty of UN member states.

Burundi plunged in a crisis since April 2015 when Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement.

More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and some 270,000 people fled to neighboring countries mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis.

Source : XINHUA