The killing of rebels in Burundi has “ominous echoes” of the Rwandan genocide said the Economist in an editorial this week.
“In recent months repression has gathered steam” in Burundi said the editorial, noting President Pierre Nkurunziza’s “youth militia terrorises his opponents, many of whom are Tutsis” and that “hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people, mostly young men, have been “disappeared””.
“More targeted sanctions, which hurt the president’s cronies personally, are needed,” it said.
“If things get worse, outsiders should be ready to send in troops, under the aegis of the African Union or the UN. There are 19,000 UN blue helmets just across the border in Congo. They should be prepared to step in, and the great powers should make sure that Mr Nkurunziza knows it.”
See the full text of the editorial here.