In a recent report, UN chief Zeid Ra-ad al-Hussein outlined rampant human rights violations in Burundi, according to Voice of America. Political violence has ensued since July 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza won a third term despite constitutional term limits. Burundi has a history of ethnic strife between Hutus and Tutsis.
The United Nations (UN) has completed its deployment of monitors sent to investigate human rights abuses in Burundi, according to Africa News. Over 450 people have been killed since last year, when President Pierre Nkurunziza won a third term beyond his official mandate. Three people were murdered in the latest string of killings, including a former army colonel.
Phocas Bakaza of the ruling CNDD-FDD party in Burundi was killed in the latest incident of political violence that has persisted for over a year, according to Reuters. Over 400 people have been murdered since President Pierre Nkurunziza’s unconstitutional third-term re-election in July 2015. Nkurunziza supporters contended that the president could run for a third-term based on a court ruling, but critics and opposition party members have rejected such a claim.
Burundi’s violence has increased since President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third-term election, causing the European Union to suspend direct financial assistance to the government, according to AFP. The government will no longer receive assistance, but the EU will lend financial aid to Burundi’s population for humanitarian purposes. Hundreds of people have been killed since Nkurunziza won another term in July 2015, and over 240,000 people have fled the country.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Burundi Monday to assist in the resolution of an ongoing dispute over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third-term presidential win in July, according to AFP. Four people were killed shortly before Ban Ki-moon’s visit, but he intends to convince the president to open dialogue with his political opponents to stifle further unrest. The secretary general plans to visit South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo after his Burundi trip.
Fearing genocide, two former presidents of Burundi implore the United Nations to send peace deployments as ethnic tensions reach a boiling point, according to Reuters. The violence stems from current President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision in April to run for a third term beyond his official limit, causing civil strife that has taken the lives of over 400 people thus far.
Around 90 people lost their lives over the weekend as instability across the East African nation worsens over time, according to AFP. The government justifies the murders, but witnesses speak of workers burying bodies in mass graves, fueling the allegations of a cover-up, and more people could have been murdered. The country returned to a sense of normalcy as of Sunday, but security forces remain present. The U.S. State Department urges Americans to leave Burundi as soon as possible.
Over 13 people were killed over the weekend, with 240 lives lost since April due to escalating political violence, according to Bloomberg Business. The turmoil comes a decade after a bloody civil war between the majority Hutu and Tutsi minority, claiming 300,000 lives. President Pierre Nkurunziza’s return to power has fueled the current crisis, and the opposition questions his legitimacy. The IMF expects the Burundi economy to shrink by 7.2 percent from the instability.
Despite threats from the European Union of withdrawing more aid money, Burundians ushered in a new parliament this week, with incumbent president Pierre Nkurunziza seeking a third time in office, notes Reuters. According to critics, Nkurunziza’s candidacy is a violation of the constitution, and many are unsatisfied with his handling of the economy. Burundi is a land-locked country in East Africa, and it is one of the poorest nations on the continent.
The country has experienced a problem of trade deficit over the years. Major exportable items in the country are sugar, cotton, tea and coffee. It exports partners are Germany, Switzerland, US and Belgium.
Important importable products of the country are foodstuff, petroleum products and capital goods. Burundi’s imports partners are Tanzania, Kenya, US, France, Italy and Japan.
The following diagram shows the levels of exports and imports over the years:
