Condemning Pre-Election Violence in Burundi, Secretary-General Calls on Authorities to Uphold Human Rights of All Citizens

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the outbreak of violence in Burundi following the nomination of President Pierre Nkurunziza as the presidential candidate of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party.  He calls on the Burundian authorities to conduct a prompt investigation into the deaths that occurred during the recent demonstrations so that those responsible are held accountable.

The Secretary-General has dispatched his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, to Burundi for consultations with President Nkurunziza and other Government authorities, political party leaders and members of the diplomatic community.  He calls on the Burundian authorities to uphold the human rights of all Burundians, including the freedom of assembly, association and expression.  He calls on the security services to remain impartial and exercise restraint in responding to public demonstrations.  He urges all parties to reject violence and avoid using inflammatory language or hate speech that could further increase tensions.

The Secretary-General appeals to Burundians to safeguard the hard won gains made in consolidating peace and democracy and urges them to resolve their differences through dialogue.  He reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to support peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.