Briefing on Burundi Following Parliamentary Elections
Tomorrow (2 July), Council members will be briefed in consultations, at the request of France, on the situation in Burundi following the controversial parliamentary and municipal elections that took place on Monday (29 June), without the participation of the opposition. According to media reports there were violent clashes in the capital today with at least six people killed. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović will brief, and the head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Abdoulaye Bathily (who is the UN envoy designated to facilitate the dialogue among Burundian stakeholders), and the Deputy Head of the United Nations Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB), Issaka Souna, are also expected to brief via video-teleconference.
This briefing continues the series of meetings Council members have had since President Pierre Nkurunziza’s 25 April announcement that he would run in the presidential election. During this period they have met six times, and issued one presidential statement as well as three press statements, largely related to the elections. A briefing by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is expected next week. For more information on the recent developments and Council dynamics on the situation in Burundi please see the Burundi brief in SCR’s July Forecast.
