It is a crisis of democracies that Burundi and Congo are experiencing. And, if the international community does not maintain special attention to this region of the world, the latter risks bursting into flames. Justice and Peace requires a strong political voice from our representatives.

- by protecting, as a first priority, the local population who find themselves isolated. Let us recall that, last January, the African Union gave up sending a peacekeeping force there and preferred an observer position;
- by facilitating the start of a real dialogue, facilitated by a legitimate and credible African Union. This implies, among other things, making this dialogue completely inclusive, that is to say in the presence of representatives of the political and/or armed opposition taking into account the context and circumstances at the origin of the current crisis, this which the current President refuses to this day. This also involves addressing the issue of political prisoners;
- by demanding respect for human rights from the Burundian state and thus allowing the return of refugees, including leaders of local NGOs and associations who fled to ensure their safety. Because one of the nagging questions that arise today is: who is left in the country? And what else can we say? On this subject, let us note the courage of the human rights defenders who remained in the country as well as the collective of journalists “SOS media” who, in the shadows, with very basic equipment and at the expense of their lives, continue to provide accessible information. via the Internet but therefore mainly accessible to elites and international observers. Let us also note that the Catholic Church in Burundi, as a precautionary measure, has spoken out less publicly since March (the Justice and Peace team in Bujumbura has been the subject of death threats and some of its members have had to flee the country) but tries to maintain a dialogue with the authorities. It is also important to emphasize the need for Belgium and Europe to benefit from the testimonies of our local partners. Unfortunately, bringing in members of Burundian civil society has become a real obstacle course as the fear of an influx of refugees has complicated the visa procedure.
- A diplomatic avenue for our European countries would be to work on a dialogue with Angola, currently considered an allied country of Burundi and an essential player due to its military and economic strength. Although he himself pays little attention to democratic issues, the risk of seeing the region ignite could encourage him to play a positive role with Burundi and Congo.
- that Joseph Kabila respects constitutional deadlines and organizes the elections. On this subject, a petition [6]Currently more than 1300 signatures collected coordinated by volunteers from the Justice and Peace Commission of Walloon Brabant shows to what extent the Congolese diaspora, among others, remains attached to the principle of alternation in power;
- that political and military leaders involved in human rights violations be individually held responsible for their actions, thus opening the possibility of criminal sanctions;
- that resolution 2277 adopted on March 30 by the United Nations Security Council (for a way out of the country's crisis) be respected and that the national dialogue can be accompanied by the international community with a view to allowing transparency and 'independence.
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Notes[+]
↑1 | On this subject, see the interview with Justice et Paix on RTBF on December 14: https://www.justicepaix.be/Burundi-crainte-d-une-guerre-civile . |
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↑2 | Local civil society has recorded the cases of nearly 813 people who died between April 2015 and May 2016. |
↑3 | See the UNICEF press release of November 2015 regarding children in Burundi: http://www.unicef.org/french/infobycountry/media_86267.html |
↑4 | IMF in 2015 |
↑5 | As a reminder, article 70 of the Constitution says that “The President of the Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year mandate, renewable only once. At the end of his mandate, the President of the Republic remains in office until the effective installation of the new elected President” was interpreted on May 11, 2016 by the Constitutional Court which would allow the President to remain in power and thus to legitimize the slippage of elections. |
↑6 | Currently more than 1300 signatures collected |
↑7 | Conference organized by Justice and Peace in Liège on May 20, 2016. See also Lallemand, A (May 19, 2016). Kinshasa Papers: Congo also likes offshores. The evening : https://www.justicepaix.be/Les-societes-offshore-la-face-cachee-du-pillage-des-ressources-en-RD-Congo-1215 |
↑8 | https://www.justicepaix.be/Democratie-en-Afrique-subsaharienne-depasser-les-certitudes-occidentales |