This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
Published on August 1, 2019, the Burundi opposition party National Congress for Freedom (CNL) has faced a wave of vandalism in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential elections.
According to CNL spokesperson Therence Manirambona, more than 10 offices have been set alight or defaced with human faeces over the past two months.
The latest office to be vandalized was set ablaze on Tuesday night in Gatete, western Rumonge district.
Manirambona stated that the authorities have not conducted any investigations into the incidents.
“Coating our offices with human faeces is an act of hate beyond imagination,” Mr Manirambona said.
He further alleged that the vandalism is politically motivated, with some officials believing the CNL should not have an office in their areas.
These allegations come as the UN Human Rights Commission released a report detailing “serious human rights abuses targeting Burundi’s opposition” last month.
However, Burundi’s representative on the UN commission based in Geneva called the report a “document of lies”.
The crisis in Burundi began in 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for re-election to a third term sparked protests by opposition supporters.
A referendum two months later voted overwhelmingly for constitutional reforms that could allow him to stay in office until 2034.
