Okay.
My presentation will focus on the political impasse and the risk of an explosion of violence.
First, I will show how the failure of the fifth and final round of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue led by the East African Community is deepening Burundi's political impasse and increasing the risk of an escalation of violence as the only means of political expression.
Second, I will provide some typical examples of the context. From January to October 2018, Burundi saw a surge in human rights violations. There were also acts of torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment leading to death. There were instances of enforced disappearances, but my friend Pacifique Nininahazwe can elaborate on that. That is his area of expertise and he has a lot more information about it than I do.
I will also talk about sexual assault and extrajudicial executions and murders.
Finally, I will talk about the venom propagated by the hate speech of certain authorities in the country, starting with Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of Burundi.
After the failure of the fifth and final round of the Inter-Burundi talks, scheduled from October 24 to 29, 2018, Burundi finds itself in a serious political impasse, with a risk of violence as the only means of political expression.
I also want to talk about how the hope for compromise was ruined by the boycotting of the proceedings by the government and the parties from its own movement, as they did not attend the final round.
Representatives of CNARED, an opposition in exile platform, and opponents residing in Burundi, for their part, met from September 21 to 23, 2018, in Entebbe, Uganda, and produced a joint memorandum to be issued to the facilitators.
In general, all the parties deplored the unilateral revision of the constitution by the Burundi government and stressed that the Arusha Accord must be upheld, which still represents the foundation for a return to peace and security in Burundi.
There must be conditions that are conducive to respect for human rights and the voluntary return of refugees so that free, peaceful and transparent elections can be held in 2020. Similarly, the media that were destroyed and the civil society organizations that were suspended or eliminated must be restored.
Clearly, the failure of mediation by the East African Community and the government's continuous closing of public space are important factors in the deterioration of the political and security situation, in view of the rise in hate speech and violence during the 2020 election process.
I also want to give a few typical examples of the context. To this end, I have sent some photos to the clerk of the subcommittee.
Burundi has seen a surge in human rights violations from January to October 2018. This year has been marked by numerous human rights violations committed in a general climate of terror maintained by the government using elements of the national police and the national intelligence service, as well as the Imbonerakure militia and a few elements of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, which committed genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The Imbonerakure militia controls the entire territory and constantly commits all kinds of abuse, unchecked, and with impunity.
On the whole, the human rights violations committed from January to October 2018 are similar to those committed in the three previous years. SOS-Torture/Burundi recorded 182 murders, 571 arbitrary arrests, 91 cases of torture, 24 enforced disappearances, and 27 cases of sexual assault. These various acts were committed concurrently by the national police, the national intelligence service, and Imbonerakure militiamen and the CNDD-FDD party, with complete impunity.
The examples highlighted illustrate the unchecked power of the Imbonerakure militia over the population and the territory. Officers of the national police and the national intelligence service commit all kinds of abuses. These abuses have repeatedly resulted in the death of the victims, or serious damage to their health.
As to acts of torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment leading to death, let consider the emblematic case of Simon Bizimana. This young member of the Cendajuru commune, Cankuzo province, was murdered for his refusal, on religious grounds, to register to vote in the constitutional referendum of May 2018. Simon Bizimana died in Cankuzo hospital on March 17, 2018. A month earlier, on February 14, 2018, to be precise, he was arrested by the Gisoro hill leader, Marc Nimpa, and interrogated on his knees in front of the Cendajuru police chief. He was then allegedly taken to the bush and beaten with a rebar and his bible by the Cendajuru commune administrator, Béatrice Nibaruta. The following day, after another torture session at the hands of the Cendajuru administrator, the young man, with blood coming out of his nose and ears, was taken to the province's capital by Bonaventure Niyonkuru, the provincial head of the national intelligence service in Cankuzo. You will find this young man's full story in the 119th report of SOS-Torture/Burundi.
I will now talk about cases of torture with grave consequences.
On September 15, 2018, Alexis Nibizi, the communal secretary of the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, along with Imbonerakure militiamen Augustin Nkurikiye, Nestor Nzokirantevye and Paul, violently tortured Elias Yamuremye on Rugajo hill, Cibitoke province. The victim is the vice-representative of the opposition party FNL faithful to MP Agathon Rwasa, in Mugina commune. The local head of the governing party blamed him for refusing to join the CNDD-FDD party. Mr. Yamuremye had to be evacuated to a health centre for intensive care. You will find his full story in the 145th report of SOS-Torture/Burundi.
My friend Pacifique Nininahazwe will go into greater detail about the enforced disappearances.
Since the start of the crisis, there have been many enforced disappearances in Burundi, a number of which could be politically motivated. Those targeted are young people, but also people who are seen as opponents. Individuals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and especially Rwanda have been key targets in these disappearances.