Rédaction Africa Links 24 with AZ Africa Links 24
Published on 2024-03-22 14:51:07
Burkina: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in solidarity with the Burkinabe people
Ouagadougou, March 22, 2024 (Africa Links 24) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed his solidarity with the Burkinabe people in these difficult times during a press conference in Ouagadougou on Thursday night.
“I am here to express my solidarity with the Burkinabe people in these difficult times and to engage at the highest level on the situation of human rights,” said Türk during a press conference in Ouagadougou on Thursday night.
Upon arrival, the High Commissioner was received on Thursday morning by the transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, at the Koulouba Palace in Ouagadougou. He thanked the head of state “for the extensive and in-depth discussions” they had together. Türk informed that these discussions focused on the grave security, socio-economic, and humanitarian situation, climate change, environmental degradation, inequalities, the need to forge a new social contract, and ensure an inclusive participation of all Burkinabe in the transition process.
According to Türk, there are 2.3 million people experiencing food insecurity, over 2 million internally displaced persons, and 800,000 out-of-school children in the country. “In total, 6.3 million people out of a population of 20 million are in need of humanitarian assistance,” he said. Faced with the “magnitude of the needs of the populations,” he deplored the lack of resources made available to the country by the international community.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported that in 2023, his office documented 1335 violations and abuses of human rights and humanitarian law, with at least 3800 civilian victims. He specified that “armed groups are responsible for the vast majority of these violations against civilians.”
He further stated that these incidents involve more than 86% of the victims. “Such senseless violence must stop, and the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions,” he emphasized.
The UN official said he understands “the serious challenges faced by the Defense and Security Forces (DSF) in Burkina Faso.” He stated, “I am encouraged by statements indicating that measures are being taken to ensure that their behavior fully complies with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”
Burkina Information Agency WIS/ata
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Read the original article(French) on Agence d’Information du Burkina
