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Pierre Nkurunziza was sworn in for a third term as Burundi’s President on Thursday, 20 August 2015, six days ahead of schedule. Nkurunziza’s candidacy - which is widely held to have violated the constitution and peace accord - and his subsequent winning of the elections deemed by the international community as lacking in credibility, have sparked protests over the last few months, leaving scores of people dead with many forced to flee and seek refuge abroad.
CIVICUS spoke to a trusted partner in Burundi who requested that the interview be run anonymously for reasons of personal safety.
1.How would you describe the current political situation in Burundi?
The political situation in Burundi is very tense. Many people, including political opponents, civil society activists, journalists and even ordinary citizens have fled and continue to flee the country for fear of escalating violence and oppression. Killings and torture against opponents of the third term of Pierre Nkurunziza are rife.
Geneva, 20 August 2015,
Re: Addressing the deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia and ensuring that the United Nations retains its protection role and monitoring capacity in the country
Your Excellency,
We urge your delegation to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia by supporting a resolution, at the 30th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (14 September-2 October 2015), that highlights patterns of serious violations and calls on the Cambodian Government to put an end to such violations and to abide by its domestic and international legal obligations. The resolution should also extend the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia.
Ramiro Orias, is a lawyer and specialist on human rights and issues related to access to justice in Bolivia. He is also a member of Foundation Construir and speaks to CIVICUS about the recent protests related to the mining region of Potosí and the current challenges that civil society actors face to get their demands heard in the country. Foundation CONSTRUIR is a Bolivian civil organization working for the defence of human rights and the strengthening of the rule of law.
Global Day of Citizen Action
On 16 May 2015, people around the world will be sharing their views on `civic space’ - the freedoms of expression, association and assembly.
The Global Day of Citizen Action engages ordinary citizens by asking them whether they feel free to speak out, organise and take action. In doing so, we get to engage with citizens in an easy way that allows them to give their opinion on `civic space’ and allows civil society organisations like yourself to create awareness about citizen’s rights. It also helps us understand the extent to which civic space is free or restricted in different parts of the world. Learn more about this exciting campaign and how you can take part by visiting us at www.civicus.org/bethechange/gdca
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