Good afternoon. Welcome to the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.
Today, we will be updating the study we have been doing on the human rights situation in Burundi and Rwanda.
Pursuant to the motion adopted by the subcommittee on Thursday, June 16, 2016, the subcommittee is resuming its study of the human rights situation in Burundi.
Today we welcome two witnesses via teleconference. The first is Mr. Armel Niyongere, a lawyer. He is the president of Action des chrétiens pour l’abolition de la torture au Burundi, or ACAT-Burundi, and the originator and director of SOS-Torture/Burundi. The second witness is Mr. Pacifique Nininahazwe, president of the Forum pour la conscience et le développement.
I want to thank the witnesses for participating, and for their work and perseverance on human rights.
We did attempt to do a video conference with our two witnesses, but due to the technical issues between here and Africa, we have them just on teleconference. What this means is that the interpretation will likely be subsequent to, as opposed to during, the intervention. They will summarize the answer, so please wait. The interpretation will then kick in.
I will ask the witnesses to state their name when they begin speaking. Since we do not have a video image, it is very important for us to know who is speaking.
They will be speaking in French, so please do wait for the interpretation, if you require interpretation.
We don't have witnesses here in the room, but we are still televised, and the entire room will be televised. Please be aware of that as well.
Let us begin with our first witness.
Mr. Niyongere, please go ahead.