EU appeals for action to halt Burundi unrest

“During our interaction with stakeholders we received reports of ongoing human rights violations and other abuses including arbitrary killings and targeted assassinations, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, arbitrary suspension and closure of some civil society organizations and the media, etc”. Still, he said, they throw grenades at police to keep them from entering their neighborhoods, or sometimes set explosives when they find out where the patrols are headed.

Investigators were in Bujumbura last Friday, where they witnessed the “eruption of major exchanges of gunfire, explosions and shootings” amid attacks on three military sites.

After the attacks, armed forces Friday night went door-to-door in some neighbourhoods and dragged people from their homes and shot them dead, said residents.

The U.N. human rights chief, speaking to the council, cited new U.N. figures that at least 400 people have been killed since April 26, and almost 3,500 arrested in the political crisis.

The unrest has forced some 200,000 Burundians to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

US Ambassador Samantha Power called the situation in Burundi “horrific” and stressed that there is now no dialogue among the parties on the ground.

He said Museveni, who is mediating the crisis in Burundi on behalf of the East African Community, is talking with the Burundian government and the opposition to agree on the venue of the negotiations.

“The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Burundi and recommends that U.S. citizens now in Burundi depart as soon as it is feasible to do so”, the warning said.

The United Nations is urging the worldwide community to act urgently in order to prevent Burundi from descending into total chaos.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission urged all Burundian stakeholders to demonstrate the spirit of responsibility and utmost restraint required by the situation and to place the interest of their country and its people above all other considerations.

African Union nations, meanwhile, have appeared reticent. “The levels of displacement and food insecurity are already concerning, but we risk another full-blown humanitarian crisis without urgent progress on the political front”, John Ging, the Emergency Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told reporters.

The attackers were attempting to confiscate weapons, the military says.

In the latest flare-up, gunmen attacked military bases on Friday.