Online Desk : United Nations experts have expressed serious concern over a sharp rise in human rights violations in Burundi, including targeted attacks against political opponents.

In a statement released Monday, the experts reported that the abuses were allegedly carried out by state agents or individuals acting with their complicity, all within what they described as "a climate of widespread impunity."

Between January 2024 and May 2025, Burundian civil society organisations documented over 200 cases of sexual violence — including child rape — alongside 58 enforced disappearances, 62 incidents of torture, 892 arbitrary detentions, and 605 extrajudicial executions.

"We deplore the fact that these serious human rights violations are being used to intimidate the population during election periods, for the benefit of the ruling party," the UN experts warned.

The warning comes in the wake of a June election in which the ruling CNDD-FDD party secured 96 percent of the vote and all 100 seats in parliament — a result that has drawn criticism over fairness and transparency.

While President Evariste Ndayishimiye, in power since 2020, has at times signalled a willingness to reform, UN experts and human rights groups say his administration continues to tighten its grip through oppressive measures.

The UN experts issuing the report are independent figures appointed by the Human Rights Council and do not officially speak on behalf of the United Nations.