On Thursday 6 July, the European Parliament in Strasbourg expressed its deep concern at the political and security situation in Burundi, and at the general impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of violence that has been committed in the country since April 2015.
The Parliament resolution that was adopted on the human rights and rule of law situation in Burundi strongly condemns "the acts of violence, killings and other human rights abuses", and fearing spiralling violence, "appeals for effective and proportionate action to prevent further violence".
Ten days earlier, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly brought MEPs and their ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) colleagues together in Malta but failed to adopt a common resolution on the situation in Burundi (see EUROPE 11816).
Deploring the fact that the government of Burundi has initiated proceedings for withdrawal from the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, the European Parliament calls on the government of Burundi to reverse this decision.
MEPs denounce the 'ethnicisation' of the crisis through the use of propaganda founded on the government's ethnic ideology and the mass use of violence and intimidation by the CNDD-FDD (National Council for the Defence of Democracy – Forces for the Defence of Democracy).
The European Parliament hails the establishment of the United Nations commission of inquiry on human rights in Burundi in November 2016 to investigate human rights violations and abuses committed in Burundi since April 2015. It calls on the Burundian authorities to cooperate fully with the members of this commission of inquiry. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)