The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday said 31 people have been killed in attacks in Burundi this month, decrying an increase in violence in the east African nation.
Revenge attacks between President Pierre Nkurunziza’s security forces and his opponents escalated a year ago when he announced his bid for a controversial third term in office, one which he went on to win in the July poll.
The UN says more than 400 people have been killed since then, with over 250,000 fleeing the country.
“Some 31 people have been killed in attacks so far in April, compared to a total of nine people in the last month,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein said in a statement.
“I fear that the increasing number of targeted assassinations will inevitably exacerbate the already extremely dangerous spiral of violence and unrest in Burundi.”
In the latest incident, gunmen on Monday killed a brigadier general who was a senior adviser to the first vice president, along with his wife and bodyguard.
