Youth wing of Burundi’s ruling party accused of killings
KAMPALA, Uganda — Members of the youth league of Burundi’s ruling party have beaten, tortured and killed scores of people across the country in recent months, according to Human Rights Watch.
Members of the Imbonerakure youth group carry out violent crimes with impunity because President Pierre Nkurunziza’s government is unwilling to prosecute or rein in the youth group, said the rights group in a report released Thursday.
Imbonerakure members have been frequently mentioned among the perpetrators of violence that has rocked Burundi since April 2015, when Nkurunziza announced he would seek a disputed third term.
“Burundians live in fear of the next attack, afraid to speak out to denounce the killings, torture, and other abuses,” said Ida Sawyer, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The killers and torturers who carry out violence so freely and the Burundian officials who support them need to know that there are consequences for their actions.”