UNHCR condems attack on Burundi activist

(Vatican Radio)  The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) has strongly condemned the serious attack against Pierre Claver Mbonhimpa, a human rights defender in Burundi who was badly injured after being shot four times.

Listen to Peter Kenny's report:

Mbonhimpa was shot by two people on a motorbike on August 3, in Bujumbura, the Burundi capital, while he was on his way home.

UNHCHR spokesperson Cécile Pouilly said, "We are also deeply concerned at the brutal arrest and ill treatment, on 2 August, of the RFI and AFP local correspondent, Esdras Ndikumana, by agents belonging to the Service national de renseignement, the national intelligence agency.

"Mr. Ndikumana was taking pictures on the crime site where General Adolphe Nshimirimana was killed when he was arrested and brutalized by SNR agents. They took him to their HQ in Bujumbura and reportedly subjected him to torture, claiming that he was a ‘journalist enemy’.

"We also condemn the killing of general Nshimirimana and call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. We condemn all acts of violence and call on all sides to show restraint to avoid any further escalation of violence."

The rights office is also concerned about the large number of arbitrary arrests in Burundi over the last few months. More than 600 people have been arrested and remain in detention without charge, some of them since April.

The UN said it has also documented over 40 cases of torture and ill-treatment.