Burundi suspends 10 civil society groups

BUJUMBURA, Burundi

Burundian authorities have suspended 10 civil society organizations which campaigned against President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third-term bid, official sources told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

Interior Minister, Pascal Barandagiye said: "Given the urgent need to preserve order and security in the country ... the activities of these associations are temporarily suspended.”

The move comes at a time when the United States has imposed sanctions against four senior Burundian figures.

Minister of Public Security Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni; national police deputy director-general Godefroid Bizimana; former intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare; and former defense minister Cyrille Ndayirukiye face asset freezes and visa restrictions over the political and security crisis in the country over the past seven months.

Burundi has been gripped by instability since April when the ruling party named Nkurunziza -- in power since 2005 -- as its candidate for the presidency.

On Nov. 2, in a message to the nation, President Nkurunziza formally asked his interior minister to sanction "criminals … disguised as peaceful protesters".

Some of the organizations concerned are the Forum for Development and Consciousness (Focode); the Forum for the Reinforcement of the Civil Society; the Christian Association Against Torture (ACAT); the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons (APRODH); Network of Honest Citizens (RCP) and Partners in Synergy for the Promotion of Women’s Rights (SPPDF).

The associations concerned by this decision are those that were at the forefront of challenging President Nkurunziza’s controversial third term in office.

Over 6,400 civil society organizations are registered with the Burundian Interior Ministry.

Leaders of these organizations say they are "outraged" by this decision, but they promise to continue the fight until the departure of Nkurunziza.

On Monday, Valentin Bagorikunda, Burundi's attorney general, decided to freeze the bank accounts of a dozen organizations and three civil society leaders known for their opposition to President Nkurunziza.

At least 240 people, mostly opposition politicians but also Nkurunziza supporters, have been killed amid political turbulence that began when the president announced plans to run for a third term.

Many of President Nkurunzia's opponents are in exile and others have been imprisoned.