The term of the Special Rapporteur on Burundi renewed

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, October 7, 2025 — The United Nations Human Rights Council has decided to extend for one year the term of Fortuné Gaétan Zongo, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi. But Gitega maintains its position : the Burkinabé expert is still not authorized to set foot on the Burundian soil.

The vote, expected this week in Geneva, held no surprises. By 23 votes in favor, 9 against, and 15 abstentions, the 60th session of the Council renewed the term of the Special Rapporteur, responsible for closely monitoring the human rights situation in the small east African nation.

The draft resolution is not limited to civil and political rights violations. He also denounced the failure to respect economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to adequate food, health, education, and protection of vulnerable people.

In his presentation, Mr. Zongo acknowledged that the 2025 local and legislative elections had taken place without major violence, while expressing concern about the lack of conditions conducive to inclusive, transparent, and credible polls. He pointed to the shrinking civic and media space, the lack of political pluralism, and the fear and intimidation surrounding the electoral process.

For many human rights defenders, this renewal represents a breath of fresh air for the victims.

“A strong signal of solidarity,” praised Armel Niyongere, representative of ACAT-Burundi (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture), on his X (formerly Twitter) account. However, he called for continued vigilance in the face of persistent impunity in the country.

Last August, more than fifty Burundian and international organizations, including ACAT-Burundi, petitioned the Human Rights Council to influence the vote. In this open letter, they denounced the persistence of serious violations : extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, acts of torture, sexual violence, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The signatories noted that the legislative and district elections of June 5, 2025, had been held in a climate of intimidation and exclusion of the opposition, resulting in “elections without opposition.” They also warned of the militarization of the Imbonerakure, members of the youth league of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party, often referred to as a militia by human rights organizations.

Gitega persists and signs

Burundi’s Ambassador to Geneva, Élisa Nkerabirori, denounced a “propaganda mechanism” that had lost “credibility and legitimacy,” confirming the government’s hard line.
For his part, the Special Rapporteur urged the Burundian authorities to resume constructive dialogue while respecting their international commitments.

The European Union, which initiated the resolution, considered that the situation in Burundi should remain “under surveillance” until the 2027 presidential elections. Brussels, the country’s main donor, is demanding that Mr. Zongo finally be granted access to the territory, a request categorically rejected by Gitega.

The term of the Special Rapporteur on Burundi was established in October 2021, during the 48th session of the Human Rights Council (resolution 48/16). He succeeded the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi, established in 2016 to document human rights violations committed since the May 2015 crisis, triggered by the controversial third term of the late President Pierre Nkurunziza.