UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/9/14 15 August 2008 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Ninth session Agenda item 10 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING Report of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Akich Okola* Summary The present report covers the independent expert’s ninth and tenth visits to Burundi, which were conducted from 2 to 8 December 2007 and from 29 June to 12 July 2008. The independent expert submitted a report on his eighth visit to the country from 20 to 26 May 2007 to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session (A/62/213). In that report, he suggested that the Government speed up the process of establishing a truth and reconciliation commission and a special tribunal, and called upon the Burundian authorities to fully investigate incidents of sexual violence and bring to justice those who committed such crimes. In addition, the independent expert asked the Government to implement the findings of the judicial commission on the Muyinga massacre and to investigate fully the Gatumba massacre. In the present report, the independent expert notes that the overall human rights situation in Burundi has deteriorated. More than 4,000 cases of human rights violations were committed in the first half of 2008 by law enforcement and administration of provinces. Most violations registered related to cases of ill-treatment, rape, torture of suspects by police officials and violations of due process by police and judicial officials. These issues are taken to the officials in charge in the Government by the Human Rights and Justice Section of the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) in the context of its monitoring activities. * Late submission. GE.08-15085 (E) 200808