He started his ten-day visit to Belgium on Monday. According to the United Nations, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi has decided to collect crucial information from stakeholders in this European country as the government of Burundi has been closing the door to him for about a year. (Le Mandat)
Since his effective appointment in April 2022, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi has not had access to the territory of this Central African country. The day of the renewal of the mandate of Fortune Gaetan Zongo last October, the United Nations Human Rights Council regretted the lack of cooperation of the Burundian government with international mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur. According to the UN Human Rights Council, “the Special Rapporteur has decided to collect first-hand information from the Burundian diaspora and other stakeholders based in Belgium”. The Council adds that Fortuné Gaetan Zongo is conducting an official visit to Belgium from 15 to 25 May 2023. The Special Rapporteur confirms, for his part, that his visit to Belgium began on Monday.
J’effectue depuis ce jour ma première visite en Belgique. J’envisage d’échanger avec les acteurs clés sur la situation des droits de l’homme au Burundi.
— Fortune Gaetan Zongo (@RS_Burundi) May 15, 2023
“I would like to seize the opportunity of Burundi’s ongoing passage to the Universal Periodic Review to touch upon issues related to civic space, sustainable return of refugees and the fight against impunity by victims of human rights violations and abuses since 2015.” Zongo said.
The Universal Periodic Review that Gaetan Zongo is referring to took place on May 4 at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The adoption of the recommendations addressed to Burundi took place on May 10 during this 43rd session of the UPR. States recommended to the government of Burundi, among others, to put an end to the harassment and intimidation of journalists and human rights defenders; to investigate allegations of extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, torture and enforced disappearances; ratify the conventions on the protection of all persons against enforced disappearance; guarantee freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly; to disarm the imbonerakure militia; to reconsider its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court; to combat discrimination and violence against women and LGBTQI+ people; to decriminalize same-sex relationships; to grant access to the Special Rapporteur for that country.
In addition to indicating that Burundi has made significant progress, since the 2018 Periodic Review, on human rights and particularly on the rights of women and young people, the government will have to respond to more than 280 recommendations during the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council scheduled for September and October 2023.
It is at the same time that the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi Fortuné Gaetan Zongo, currently on a working tour in Belgium, will present his annual report to the Human Rights Council and to the United Nations General Assembly.
