OPINION: Burundian Bishops Succeed Where U.N. Fails

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza speaks at an event hosted by the World Economic Forum. (Wikimedia Commons)

Troubling news came from the tiny central African country of Burundi on September 23. The head of communications for the country’s president announced that the government would not invite foreign representatives to monitor the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for May 2020, according to Anadolu Agency. 

The announcement comes as cries from the international community grow increasingly louder, accusing President Pierre Nkurunziza’s regime of systematic human rights violations and terrorizing political opponents. 

However, this week saw an even more impactful event than the regime’s disappointing but predictable announcement. On September 22, Burundian Catholic bishops released a powerful indictment of Nkurunziza’s presidency, condemning the rampant human rights violations and repression carried out under his leadership, according to APA. 

This development brings hope that the elections next year might not be a lost cause. Considering that most international organizations, including human rights advocates, in Burundi have left the country due to dangerous conditions and the United Nations itself has said that “the eight common risk factors for criminal atrocities are present in Burundi,” the situation for the country looks bleak. Human rights and the preservation of anything akin to a democratic system are in serious peril. 

Under these extreme circumstances, in which the regime forcibly disappears opponents, the Catholic Church has taken a stand. As human rights organizations have fled the country and the UN has called for the “greatest vigilance” in monitoring the situation, Burundian bishops made a brave, and undoubtedly frightening, choice to condemn injustice and present an alternative path forward. 

So far, none of the Bishops responsible for the move has been reported missing. But, the Church demonstrated on September 22 that it will not tolerate the government’s impunity and that even when the international order is not up to the task, Burundians are.