Repression and Genocidal Dynamics in Burundi 3 3
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Ligue ITEKA Repression and genocidal dynamics in Burundi November 2016 / N°685a November In Mutakura district in Bujumbura, Burundi, on 2 July 2015, where, the day before, at least six persons have been killed during confrontations with the police. © MARCO LONGARI / AFP TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9 REPORT GENERAL SUMMARY 14 MAP OF BURUNDI 16 ACRONYMS 17 I. METHODOLOGY 19 II. CONTEXT AND ANALYSIS 21 The highly controversial candidacy of President Nkurunziza 21 Merciless repression of demonstrations: from brutal violence to massacre 25 Aftermath of failed putsch of 13 May 2015, “use all possible means” 26 Suspension of all radio stations and the social media 27 The re-election of President Nkurunziza... 28 … ushers in a new cycle of violence 29 11 and 12 December 2015: a turning point in the crisis 31 A circle of close associates and “hard men” surrounding President Nkurunziza 33 Increasing divisions within the army 35 Special units to implement repression 37 Repression less visible but still driven by genocide 38 III. SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: THE DYNAMICS AT WORK 45 Summary and extrajudicial executions by Burundi defence and security forces 46 3. 1. 1. Executions in broad daylight: organized reprisals against civilians 46 The Mutakura killings of 1 July 2015 46 The Cibitoke and Mutakura killings on 3 October 2015 47 The Nyakabiga and Musaga systematic killings on 11 December 2015 48 3. 1. 2. Post-11 December: emergence of new repressive operational methods 51 Passing under the radar of the international community: executions in secret 51 3. 1. 3. Targeted killings and hunting down enemies of the regime 55 Manhunt: political opponents first on the list 55 “There’s nowhere to hide”: regime “opponents” are pursued across the border 57 Repression and alleged extrajudicial executions of soldiers and police from the Formers Burundian Armed Forces 59 Attacks and targeted assassinations by armed rebel groups 61 3. 2. 1. Targeted attacks against top regime officials 62 3. 2. 2. Widening attacks 64 Massive, systematic and widespread arrests and arbitrary detentions 66 3. 3. 1. Round-ups and victim selection 68 The identification of protesters 68 3. 3. 2. Systematic arrests: a practice now “impossible to document” 70 Enforced Disappearances 71 Widespread practice of torture by Burundian security forces 75 3. 5. 1. « They would torture me morning, noon and night » 75 FIDH - Repression and genocidal dynamics in Burundi 3 3. 5. 2. Unofficial and secret places of arbitrary detention and torture 79 Detention and torture of civilians in army, police and SNR positions 79 Private homes 80 The example of Iwabo w’Abantu Bar 81 Schools 82 BEING ARRESTED IN BURUNDI: THE JOURNEY OF TERROR 84 Mass graves 85 3. 6. 1 Mass graves of 11 and 12 December 2015 86 3. 6. 2. A practice that is spreading 86 Gender-based sexual violence 88 3. 7. 1. Sexual violence: a political weapon in the service of repression 88 3. 7. 2. Sexual violence committed against men 89 3. 7. 3. Incentives to rape and forcibly impregnate 91 3. 7. 4. Intimidation of victims in the political climate 92 Looting, ransoms and confiscation of private property by the security forces 93 3. 8. 1. Looting 93 3. 8. 2. Ransoms 93 3. 8. 3. Confiscation of private property 95 Preventing the documentation of human rights abuses 96 Disinformation as a propaganda tool 97 3. 10. 1. Suspicious mass graves 97 3. 10. 2. “Revelations” by repentant rebels 99 3. 10. 3. Discredit the work of human rights organizations 101 General surveillance of the population 101 3. 11. 1. SNR, Imbonerakure, informers 101 3. 11. 2. Wiretapping and surveillance of personal data 102 3. 11. 3. The household books (Cahiers de ménage) 103 “Deep down, I was preparing for the worst”: the crisis becoming ethnic, with the dynamics of genocide 104 3. 12. 1. Preparing minds to ethnic mass violences 104 “You, the Tutsi, want to get back to power”: Tutsi seen as enemies of the regime 104 Ethnic and genocidal rhetoric 106 Re-opening the wounds of the 1972 “genocide” 107 3. 12. 2. Anti-Rwanda propaganda 109 3. 12. 3. CNDI: an instrument of propaganda for the regime’s doctrine 111 Indiscriminate repression of human rights defenders and journalists 115 3. 13. 1. Human rights defenders 116 Human rights defenders under threats and attacks 116 The “nyakurisation” of NGOs 119 The damaging power of nyakuri organizations: the example of the RNODH 120 Attempt to obtain control over the ITEKA League 121 3. 13. 2. The position of the journalists and the communication war 122 The ambiguous role played by the CNIDH 125 3. 14. 1. Attacks against civil society civile and human rights organizations 126 3. 14. 2. Denial of major violations committed by Burundian security forces 127 On the extra judicial executions carried out by the security forces and arbitrary arrests 127 Torture, ill-treatment and unlawful places of detention 128 Mass graves 128 Arbitrary detention of young persons accused of “contempt of the Head of State” due to defacement of pictures of President P. Nkurunziza in their school books 129 3. 14. 3. Presence of under age persons on CNIDH premises 131 4 FIDH - Repression and genocidal dynamics in Burundi IV. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTS OF REPRESSION 133 The perpetrators of repression 133 4. 1. 1. The police 134 Anti-riot Squad (BAE) 134 Mobile rapid response group (GMIR) 135 Institution Protection Agency (API) 137 National Burundian Police (PNB): Search and Judicial Investigations Squad (BRIJ) and Traffic and Road Safety Patrol (PSR/SR) 137 Parallel chains of command within the police 137 4. 1. 2. The army 138 Combat Engineer Regiment – BGC 138 Special Squad for the Protection of Institutions – BSPI 139 Batailions implicated in grave human rights violations 139 The soldiers of Muha camp 140 Parallel chains of command within the army 140 4. 1. 3. Le National Intelligence Service (SNR), “La Documentation” 142 4. 1. 4. The Imbonerakure 143 Long-standing allegations 143 Implication in repression since April 2015 144 Supervision, training, arming 145 Armed rebel groups 146 4. 2. 1. Résistance pour un État de droit (Red-Tabara) 148 4. 2. 2. Forces Républicaines du Burundi (FOREBU) 148 4. 2. 3. Other groups 149 CHAIN OF COMMAND OF THE BURUNDIAN POLITICO-SECURITY APPARATUS 150 V. CLASSIFICATION OF CRIMES: CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND CRIMES OF GENOCIDE 157 Crimes against humanity 157 5. 1. 1. Widespread or systematic attack carried out against a civilian population 158 Attack against any civilian population 158 Generalized or systematic attack 158 5. 1. 2. Murders 160 5. 1. 3. Rapes and other forms of sexual violence 160 5. 1. 4. Enforced disappearances 160 5. 1. 5. Other crimes constitutifs: tortures, detentions, etc. 161 5. 1. 6. Persecution 161 Crimes of genocide 162 5. 2. 1. Ethnic group 162 5. 2. 3. “Intention to destroy in whole or in part” 162 5. 2. 4. Criminal responsibilities of the perpretrators 163 VI. PREVENT THE WORST: RENEW THE POLITICAL DIALOGUE, PROTECT CIVILIANS AND FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY 165 Renew the political dialogue 165 Protect civilians 169 Judge and punish those responsible 171 6. 3. 1. Fighting impunity: the need for independent, impartial and effective inquiries 172 6. 3. 2. Burundian withdrawal from ICC: Between admission of guilt and impunity bet? 174 6 3. 3. From the suspension of cooperation to sanctions measures 175 FIDH - Repression and genocidal dynamics in Burundi 5 VII. CONCLUSION: TO ACT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE 181 Using any and all means to retain power 181 From open repression to abuses behind closed doors 181 Special forces recruited for the repression 182 From the challenging of the Arusha Agreement to the “us versus them” rhetoric 182 Crimes against humanity and/or genocide? 183 Radicalization dynamics 184 VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS 187 I. To the Burundi Authorities 187 Concerning the protection of human rights 187 Concerning security 187 Regarding the inter-Burundian dialogue process 187 Concerning the fight against impunity 187 Concerning regional and international ratification 190 II. To political opposition parties 190 III. To armed groups 191 IV. To the Independent National Commission on Human Rights 191 V. To the Rwandan and neighboring countries Authorities 192 VI. To the international community 192 Work to ensure as part of any process and political agreement 192 To international donors 192 To the East African Community and the Ugandan mediation 192 To the African Union 193 To the African Commission on Humans and Peoples’ Rights 194 To the United Nations Security Council 195 To the European Union 196 VII. To member States and observers of the United Nations Council on Human Rights 197 VIII. Concerning the International Criminal Court 198 To the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC 198 To the Registrator of the ICC 198 To the Burundi authorities 198 To the other States Parties to the Statute of the ICC 198 6 FIDH - Repression and genocidal dynamics in Burundi “Why do we have to live like this? Why is my beautiful country torturing and killing its children? How did we ever reach the point where human life means nothing? I can remember the various alerts I’ve seen on social networks since the start of the crisis, hashtags like #BringBackMyDad, #OùEstMonFrère, (#WhereIsMyBrother), my cousin, my sister… And also the grief of my neighbors, colleagues and friends who have lost their loved ones. Families who are suffering because their loved ones have disappeared or been imprisoned for no reason. I weep in silence for my people who are suffering.”*1 * Interview with Ferdinand Niyonkuru, abducted in April 2016 by the police and the Imbonerakure in the province of Kayanza in Burundi, May 2016 (see full testimony Part III.