By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 3 -- In Burundi, amid a “closing of political space,” human rights defender Pierre Claver Mbonimpa has been in jail for 105 days. Inner City Press has previously reported on his case, here and elsewhere, and has asked (repeatedly) about it at the UN. Mbonimpa is now sick.
On September 3 Inner City Press asked US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power about Mbonimpa, and relatedly about the reports of Burundi's ruling party arming its youth wing.
Samantha Power replied that she has raised the imprisonment of Mbonimpa with Burundi's leadership, publicly and privately. (Inner City Press previously asked Ambassador Power about Burundi at a Security Council question and answer stakeout of the type the new Free UN Coalition for Access urges all Secuity Council presidencies to hold after closed door consultation sessions.)
“I suppose the situation on the ground has not changed materially,” Ambassador Power said, “since we last engaged on this... the closing of political space, the walking away from aspects of the Arusha Accords.”
During the recent African Leaders Summit in Washington she and other US officials raised the issues, she said. The US “wants the UN to maintain a role on the ground in the coming weeks as we approach the elections,” she said. Inner City Press has reported on Burundi using the “persona non grata” process to expel UN staff.
Ambassador Power noted that the Security Council has held more meetings about Burundi this year than in any other analogous period. One wonders, will this continue up to the election? After? Watch this site.
