Ngo / Humanitarian
Al Jazeera: Burundi Post Elections Crisis
Police force on a crime scene in Mutakura. The rise of violence since the the protests began in April 2015, maintains the threat of a return to civil war in Burundi.
Egide, 36, lives in Nyakabiga, a neighborhood of Bujumbura. He is part of the MSD opposition party in Burundi and he was leading a group during the protest in May 2015 against the 3rd term of President Nkurunziza. He says he was shot three times in the legs by the police on October 28, as a consequence of his political actions. Today, he says he has "nothing to hide!".
A police unit is leaving a crime scene in Mutakura, once the victim's mutilated body has been removed after a deadly night attack. The significant deployment of police, army, and special divisions in the streets of Bujumbura proves that tension still remains, three months after the official elections won by Nkurunziza.
Staged portrait of Elise*, the mother of a young man, who recently disappeared in a bus attack. As of today, she remains without any news from her son. "They keep killing unarmed children. We are in turmoil!" she says. *Name changed.
In Mutakura, people are scratching out their house numbers, to make identification more difficult. Residents claim that the Imbonerakure are collaborating with the national intelligence service (Service National de Renseignement - SNR) and the police, to locate people and keep a high level of pressure.
A mutilated body - the heart was removed - is found next to a burned-out car on the streets of Mutakura.
On November 3 2015, approximately 70% of the students have returned to Cibitoke high school. The week before, they were on strike to protest against the disappearance of one their fellow comrades and presence of the police inside the school. Their efforts to protest had no direct effect, since the boy is still missing and the police still holding their position within the school.
Staged portrait of Bienvenue*, a police officer, who refused to collaborate with the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling party (CNDD-FFD), in fighting the opposants of President Nkurunziza third term. He fears for his personal safety and he keeps moving around, in order to not be found. *Name changed
Staged portrait of Gloria*, a relative of a police officer, who was killed a few days after the protests began, late April 2015. Today, she still receives sporadic threats. She is scared for her children and wishes she could flee the country. *Name changed
A house has been taken down by a rocket in Mutakura, North of Bujumbura, on July 1, 2015. Six people perished in the attack.
12E Avenue, Cibitoke, North of Bujumbura. The apparent calm during daylight misrepresents the underlying fear of mysterious killings that take place in the darkness. Most people try to return home early in the day, as gunfires and grenades can be heard almost every night.
The headquarters of Tele Renaissance, in central Bujumbura. Private media sources have been shut down since the tentative coup on May 13, 2015. The lack of independent information creates the opportunity for all kinds of rumors, adding to the suspicious and uncertain atmosphere.
A burned car and a dead body in the streets of Mutakura. In the morning, residents routinely discover the damages of the previous night.
In Mutakura, more and more residents are moving out and fleeing the neighborhood in search of safer parts of town. House searches, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings have developed a strong climate of insecurity. Residents are also fearing the potential repression, which could follow Nkurunziza's ultimatum for insurgents to surrender their weapons on Nov. 8.
More than six months after the announcement of Nkurunziza seeking a controversial third term, Burundi and the capital Bujumbura are still experiencing a state of unrest. In recent weeks, there has been an increase of violence within the subcentral neighborhoods, and the unstable situation is deteriorating quickly. Gunfires and grenades can be heard almost every night, and in the morning, dead bodies are often discovered in the streets. At least 250 people have been killed since April 2015, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Locals feel that the ruling party (CNDD-FFD) seems determined to eclipse the opposition with the support of the Intelligence service (SNR) and its youth league Imbonerakure. Arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and speeches of hate from political leaders, generates a fear of mass violence, and the threat for the country to return to civil war.
This photo essay about Burundi Post Elections Crisis has been published for the first time on Al Jazeera website.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2015/11/post-election-crisis-escalates-burundi-151111071743231.html
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Post tagsAfricabujumburaburundiCrisisElectionsHuman RightsKillingPolitical CrisisPresident NkurunzizaUprisingViolence
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