Closing doors

"Burundi's 2010 election period was marked by repression of civil society, media, and opposition parties. After claiming that communal elections in May were fraudulent, opposition parties boycotted subsequent elections, which resulted in a massive electoral victory for the ruling party. The government responded with a crackdown on liberties that continued into the post-election period. It banned political meetings, outlawed an opposition coalition, and unlawfully acted to convert the main opposition party into a satellite of the ruling party. Authorities arrested several hundred opposition members; some were tortured. They also arrested journalists, harassed civil society organizations, and branded those who spoke out on security and justice issues as 'political opponents.' Since September, a new wave of killings has targeted members of both the ruling party and the opposition. The specter of a de facto one-party state, consisting mainly of officials who perceive dissident voices as enemies, raises concerns about future repression and the narrowing of democratic space in Burundi. The possibility of renewed armed conflict heightens concerns of abuse by the government and armed movem