MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Burundi
17.1.2017 - (2017/2508(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Mark Demesmaeker, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Ryszard Czarnecki, Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Karol Karski, Monica Macovei, Branislav Škripek, Notis Marias, Ruža Tomašić, Raffaele Fitto, Angel Dzhambazki, Jana Žitňanská, Valdemar Tomaševski on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0075/2017
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Burundi, in particular those of 18 September 2014[1], 12 February 2015[2] , 9 July 2015[3] and 15 December 2015
– having regard to the Cotonou Agreement,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to decision 2015/1763 and 2015/1755 of the Council of the EU,
– having regard to the United Nations Convention against Torture of 1985,
– having regard to the various statements by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the situation in Burundi,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas many people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza launched a controversial bid to prolong his term in office in April 2015, after which he was re-elected on 15th July 2015 in an election considered to be flawed and not transparent;
B. whereas the situation in Burundi has failed to improve in recent months and the security forces continue to disrespect the human rights of Burundians, amid a general climate of fear, paranoia and impunity;
C. Whereas Imbonerakure, the youth league of the ruling political party CNDD-FDD, and police have used rape as a weapon, raping women who attempted to cross into Tanzania, apparently to deter them from leaving Burundi and raping the female family members of government opponents;
D. Whereas Imbonerakure set up roadblocks and check points in some provinces, extorting money, harassing passers-by, and, despite having no powers of arrest, arresting people they suspected of having links to the opposition, many of whom have been detained, beaten and tortured, some dying from the treatment;
E. Whereas in December 2015, Marie-Claudette Kwizera, of the human rights group Ligue Iteka, was driven away in a vehicle thought to belong to the intelligence services and has not been seen again; whereas in January 2017 Ligue Iteka was banned by the Burundian government;
F. Whereas in July 2016, the UN Committee Against Torture held a special session on Burundi and raised serious concerns about torture and other violations, the Burundian delegation failing to show up to answer questions, the committee released its concluding observations the following month;
G. Whereas On 14 March 2016 the article 96 (Cotonou EU-ACP partnership agreement) consultation collapsed when the Council concluded consultations with the Burundian government as the government’s proposals were insufficient to address the EU concerns;
H. Whereas the EU under Council decision 2015/1763 and 2015/1755 has sanctioned Godefroid Bizimana, Gervais Ndirakobuca, Mathias Niyonzima and Léonard Ngendakumana, and the United States under Executive Order 13712 has sanctioned Marius Ngendakumana, Ignace Sibomana and Edouard Nshimirimana who are considered to be a threat to peace and security in Burundi, to be undermining democratic processes, or to be responsible for or complicit in human rights abuses and alleged atrocities; whereas in its Resolution 2248 (2015) the UN Security Council expresses its intention to consider additional measures against all Burundian actors whose actions and statements contribute to the perpetuation of violence and impede the search for a peaceful solution;
I. whereas the health and shelter outlook for Burundian refugees in Tanzania is poised to deteriorate in already overstretched camps, as the onset of the Tanzanian rainy season has already led to an increase in refugees contracting malaria and water-borne enteric diseases, and this situation will only worsen as areas are flooded and tents and toilets are damaged by the heavy rains;
1. Expresses its deep concern at the rise in human rights abuses and violence in Burundi, the widening divisions and lack of dialogue among Burundian stakeholders, and the threat of a regional crisis;
2. Calls on the EU member states to raise the issue of human rights abuses and the scale of the abuses being committed with impunity with the Burundian authorities in Bujumbura and with Burundian ambassadors in their home capitals;
3. Urges the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to urgently send a delegation to Burundi to meet with President Nkurunziza to have a frank discussion pointing out the risk to Burundi if the president does not change course;
4. Calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to urgently prepare an expanded list of names of those who are responsible for planning, organising and executing human rights violations with a view to adding them to the list of those Burundian officials who are already under EU sanction;
5. Calls on the United Nations Security Council, in light of the report of the United Nations Independent Investigation of Burundi to refer the serious human rights situation in Burundi to the International Criminal Court;
6. Urges the Burundian authorities to respect United Nations resolution 2303 calling for the deployment of 228 unarmed police officers to support UN human rights monitors;
7. Reminds the Republic of Burundi that it has ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and is therefore obliged to investigate allegations of torture and to prosecute those involved to the full extent of the law, and furthermore that victims of torture must have a fully enforceable right to compensation;
8. Is concerned that 325,000 Burundian refugees have fled to Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; urges the EU and other donors to increase financial support and humanitarian aid to address the urgent needs of these populations, noting that aid funds for Burundian refugees in neighbouring countries need to be released faster in order to prevent disease outbreaks;
9. Calls on the Burundian government to stop the illegal and criminal cooperation between the police force and the ruling CNDD-FDD party’s youth league Imbonerakure which acts as a paramilitary force and carries out illegal and extrajudicial activities;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Government of Burundi and the governments of the countries of the Great Lakes region, the governments of the East African Community, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Pan African Parliament.
- [1] Texts adopted, P8_TA(2014)0023.
- [2] Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0040.
- [3] Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0275.