Share

Burundi rejects UN mediator after critical report about elections

Bujumbura - Burundi on Sunday rejected a second UN diplomat named to help resolve the country's political crisis, saying a critical report about last week's parliamentary elections demonstrated bias.

The tiny east African country plunged into turmoil in late April when protests erupted in response to President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term. The opposition boycotted the June 29 parliamentary election and says it will boycott the July 15 presidential vote.

The rejection of Abdoulaye Bathily came in response to a UN report saying its mission in Burundi had observed restrictions on media freedoms, arbitrary detentions and acts of violence around the June 29 vote.

Burundi's ruling coalition blamed Bathily for the report.

"He has produced a critical report not reflecting reality on the scene, saying that elections of June 29 were not 'free and credible', while [the ruling coalition] believe that these elections were 'transparent, fair, free and credible and were held in peace and security,'" it said in a letter to the UN secretary general.

The coalition accused Bathily of exhibiting a "lack of neutrality".

Bathily's appointment was announced on June 21.

The previous U mediator, Said Djinnit, left the role after only a few weeks after criticism from the opposition that he was biased in the government's favour, a charge he dismissed. Djinnit remains U.N. special envoy to the Great Lakes region.

Dozens of people have been killed since the crisis erupted in Burundi.

In addition, about 140 000 people have fled the country, stoking concern in a region with a history of ethnic conflict, particularly in Rwanda, where 800 000 people were killed in 1994.

New Zealand's UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the UN Security Council for July, said last week the 15-member body expressed concern "that the minimum conditions for free, fair, transparent and credible elections were not met" in the June 29 vote.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 396 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 556 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE