Ten years after the unresolved 2015 crisis, and with no impro­ve­ment in Burundi’s hu­man rights record, the UN Human Rights Council has exten­ded the mandate of the Spe­cial Rapporteur on the country. The resolution adopted today en­su­res continued interna­tio­nal scrutiny of Burundi – an important step as the country has entered a long electoral pe­riod mar­ked by risk factors of atrocity crimes.

“The Special Rapporteur is the only channel through which the international com­mu­nity recei­ves updates on Burundi’s human rights situation,” said Has­san Shire, Exe­cu­tive Direc­tor, De­fend­­De­fen­ders. “Without this vital mechanism, the UN would be unable to monitor and respond to deve­lop­ments, including hu­man rights abuses and their impact on Burundi’s stability and that of the wider Great Lakes region.”

Resolution A/HRC/60/L.13 condemns vio­la­tions com­mitted in Burundi, including extra­ju­dicial kil­lings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture, and se­xual and gen­der-based violence. It con­demns the wide­spread impunity perpetrators enjoy, deplores the reduced civic and democratic space, and stresses the need to create a safe environ­ment for civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, and other independent actors. Echoing concerns raised by civil society, in August 2025, and UN human rights ex­perts, in September 2025, the resolution expresses concern about the condi­tions in which recent parlia­men­tary and local elections were held – including a closure of the civic and media space, lack of po­li­tical pluralism, and a climate of fear.

The adoption of resolution L.13 follows sustained advocacy by Burundian, regional and inter­national civil society. Most of Burundi’s human rights movement has been forced into exile but continues to monitor and report on the situation while supporting rights defenders and others at risk. In a joint letter released mid-August 2025, civil society both assessed the international community’s response to the Burundian crisis to date and urged a pre­ven­ta­tive approach based on risk factors of further violations and atrocity crimes.

In a regional context marked by instability, which is exacerbated by armed conflict in the eastern De­mo­cra­tic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi held legislative, communal, and Senate elections in 2025 and is due to hold a presidential election in May 2027. Previous election cycles have been mar­red by violence.

The UN’s top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, first addressed the crisis triggered by then-President Nkurunziza’s bid for an unconstitutional third term through an October 2015 reso­lu­tion, before holding a special session on Burundi and establishing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to document violations and identify perpetrators (2016). In 2021, it crea­ted a Special Rap­porteur man­da­te to follow up on the COI’s work.

During its 60^th regular session (8 Sep­tember-8 October 2025), it is expected to adopt nearly 40 re­so­lutions, addressing both thematic is­sues, such as the death penalty and racism, and country situ­ations – including, in addi­tion to Burundi: Afgha­nis­tan, the DRC, Somalia, Sudan, and Russia.

The Council will hear an oral update from the Special Rapporteur on Burundi at its 62^nd session (June 2026) and consider his next written report at its 63^rd session (Sep­tember 2026). 

For more information, please contact:

Estella Kansiime
Advocacy, Research and Communications Manager
[email protected] or +256 782 360 460 (English)

Nicolas Agostini
Representative to the United Nations, Senior Advocate and Researcher
[email protected] or +41 79 813 49 91 (English and French)