The United Nations called the meeting after gunmen launched a coordinated assault on Friday where 12 attackers were killed and 21 captured in this latest round of fighting. However, witnesses say that at least 21 bodies have been found in the streets of a Bujumbura suburb. There is a fear that the violence could escalate.
Since April tit-for-tat killing occur daily in Burundi, some experts say political violence remains a greater threat than ethnic violence.
Burundi is a country which is of particular concern to the United Nations at the moment. There is a real fear that tensions could erupt, and the violence, which is already present, could escalate.This week, the UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng said he was worried the violence would lead to all-out civil war. Adding, after that “everything is possible.”
The fact that a UN emergency meeting was called at such late notice, and on a Friday afternoon, shows the level of concern the Council members feel about the situation in Burundi. The meeting was called after gunmen launched a coordinated assault early Friday morning on three army bases in the capital Bujumbura.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement condemning those attacks, and said that such violence could lead to a further destabilization of the situation in the country. He urged all sides to refrain from any further violence or retaliation and expressed a hope for dialogue that can address, what he called “the deep political challenges” facing the country.
Last month, the Council adopted a resolution making it clear it would consider additional measures against any Burundians who continue the violence and prevent the search for a peaceful political solution. And the UN is also looking into whether to send a peacekeeping team to the country. However, the government is currently opposed to the idea.
Therefore, a UN support team may be sent – an alternative option but one that may be bolstered to a full peacekeeping mission, should the violence continue.
