UN chief expresses concern about violence escalation in Burundi

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday expressed grave concerns about the ongoing escalation of violence in Burundi.

According to a statement released by Ban's spokesperson, in recent weeks, discoveries of bodies, many apparently summarily executed, have become a regular occurrence in several neighborhoods of Bujumbura.

On Friday, Welly Nzitonda, son of prominent Burundian human rights defender Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa, was killed following his arrest by police in Bujumbura, according to the statement.

Ban underlined the responsibility of the Burundian authorities to protect civilians and ensure that "the recurring violence and killings in Burundi must stop."

"The Secretary-General stresses the imperative to intensify all efforts to find a political settlement to the crisis in Burundi," said the statement.

"He calls on all parties, including the national authorities, civil society, and opposition, whether they are in Burundi or abroad, to put an immediate end to the propagation of hate speech, renounce violence, and engage in good faith with the ongoing facilitation of the East African Community," it added.

Waves of violence persisted after the re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose announcement in April to contest for a third term stirred up protests.

The opposition and civil society groups opposed his candidacy, arguing that the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi stipulated that a president serves for only two terms. Endit