Burundi: 1000 People Storm the Streets to Reject UN Police in the Country
New reports have
just confirmed that at least 1,000 people in Burundi have taken to the streets,
to protest against the United Nations’ decision to send police to the country.
According to Guardian
UK, the protesters trooped to the French Embassy in anger for drafting the
UN resolution to send 228 police. Some of the protesters, while demanding
that the UN stay away from the country’s affairs, said it was the French who
needed the police the most – citing the recent attack on Bastille Day in
Nice. The Burundians also stormed the Rwandan Embassy, accusing them of
training the Burundi rebels.
Guardian UK said
that the UN had agreed on Friday to send the 228 officers to the capital
Bujumbura and all over Burundi for a year. These officers are expected to
monitor the human rights situation in the country in accordance, and they are
to work with the African Union right observers and military experts following
the developments in the war-wracked country.
Burundi reportedly had agreed to
allow 100 AU rights observed, 100 AU military experts, and about 50 had already
begun work. However, trouble started when the UN made decision to send the
number of police, because the country’s officials had said they would only
accept 50.
Guardian UK says
that during the voting session at the 15-member UN council meeting, four
countries refused to vote for the proposal to send the police, their reason
being that the UN needed to first secure the country’s consent first. These
countries are China, Egypt, Angola and Venezuela.
Here’s why the
country has been in turmoil, as reported by Guardian UK:
“Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans in April last year to run for a third term, which he went on to win.
More than 500 people have died, many of them in extrajudicial killings blamed on Burundian police, security forces and militias linked to the ruling party, according to the United Nations .At least 270,000 people have fled the country.”
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