Burundian opposition offices "stained with faeces"

In the past two months, more than 10 offices of Burundi's main opposition party have been burned or disfigured with human excrement, a party official told the BBC.

Therence Manirambona, spokesperson for the National Congress for Freedom (CNL), said it was part of efforts to discourage democracy and terrify the opposition ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.

The Ministry of the Interior did not comment on the incidents.

The CNL spokesman said the last vandalized office was on Tuesday night in Gatete, in the western Rumonge district.

He added that it was not known who burned her and that there had been no investigation by the authorities.

"Coating our offices with human excrement is an act of hate that goes beyond imagination," said Manirambona.

"For this, we badume that it is activity against us motivated by political considerations, because at lower levels, some officials believe that the CNL should not have an office in their regions. "

Last month, investigators from the UN Commission on Human Rights released a report detailing "serious human rights violations against the Burundian opposition. ".

But Burundi's representative to the UN commission based in Geneva called the document "lies".

In 2015, Burundi was plunged into crisis when President Pierre Nkurunziza finally protested against the re-election of his president for a third term. Opposition supporters protested against the decision, saying the decision was unconstitutional.

A referendum, two months later, voted overwhelmingly for constitutional reforms that could allow him to remain in office until 2034, although he declared that he would not stand for re-election. next year.