Burundi rejects UN police

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AA) – Burundi’s government on Wednesday rejected the deployment of 228 foreign police officers in the country as part of a French, UN-backed resolution adopted last Friday.

According to a statement, the Burundian authorities asked “the United Nations Security Council to deploy its police in Rwanda in the recruiting and training sites of elements who disrupt security in Burundi".

Burundi’s ongoing security and political crisis started in April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his candidacy for a third term.

Since then, more than 700 people have been killed and at least 280,000 have fled the country to seek refuge in neighboring states.

Bujumbura also "reminded the UN that to be effective, such a resolution must first have the consent of the country concerned, namely Burundi, pursuant to Chapter 6 of the UN Charter.

"Consequently, the government of Burundi rejects any provision of the resolution related to sending any force on its territory, in violation of basic rules governing the UN family and especially violating the sovereignty of its territory.”

Last Saturday, nearly 2,000 Burundians, including members of the ruling party, demonstrated in the capital against the decision taken by the United Nations Security Council.

However, the political opposition and civil society claim that the 228 officers are not enough to restore peace and security.

Vital Nshimirimana, delegate general of the Forum for the Strengthening of the Civil Society (FORSC) noted in a tweet: "228 police officers are insufficient to control 45,000 youths affiliated to the ruling party."

Bujumbura, however, added that African Union observers are expected to arrive in Burundi.

"The 200 observers and military experts from the AU that the government agreed upon are welcome; it only remains to finalize the memorandum of understanding for their deployment," the government statement read.

So far only 32 observers and 14 experts of the AU are in Bujumbura, according to the pan-African institution.