African lawyers body calls for robust action to end hostilities in Burundi

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The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), a continental body of African lawyers, on Wednesday expressed concerns on the current troubling situation in Burundi, calling for more robust action from the African Union (AU) and the East African Community (EAC). Burundi
“We supported the institutional development of the AU, the EAC and other African intergovernmental bodies so that they may be ready to intervene in a timely and meaningful manner in crisis such as the one currently befalling in Burundi,” the president of the lawyers’ body, Elijah Banda, said in a statement.
Banda said that it is with great regret, therefore, to see that all the AU and EAC can do is issuing statements from the relative headquarters of Addis Ababa and Arusha.
Reports have it that at least one of the Judges of the Constitutional Court of Burundi has fled the country, he said.
“Yet, other media reports indicate that on 5 May, 2015, the same Constitutional Court rendered a decision declaring that President Pierre Nkurunziza is entitled to run for a third term as President of Burundi. In such circumstances, it is hard to accept the legitimacy or credibility of any decision of that court,” he said.
The recent turn of events has led to an avalanche of street protests and demonstrations, civilian deaths and injuries, and an influx of refugees into Rwanda and Tanzania.
The continental body of African lawyers suggested the need for urgent steps to be taken to establish the circumstances in which the litigation was undertaken and the ultimate decision of the Court was rendered.
PALU also urged the Burundian government and police force to ensure law and order and enable the people of Burundi to peacefully exercise their rights to expression, assembly and association.
The lawyers body acknowledged the initiative made by the EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma was trying to restore peace in Burundi.
“…but we hasten to point out that statements are not enough at this stage! There are credible allegations that there have been multiple violations of the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), which needs to be authoritatively established and necessary sanctions applied,” the PALU official said.
The body also demanded immediate and decisive action, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights to carry out an immediate fact-finding mission to report on the human rights situation in Burundi. Enditem

Source: Xinhua

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