UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — In the run up to Burundi's elections to start in May this year, the UN Security Council urged the country to address limits on political space and continuing political violence.
"The Council calls for the Government of Burundi to take all appropriate measures to ensure the exercise of… fundamental freedoms [including freedom of expression], and to assure the protection of civil society, including those who work on human rights, in order to ensure an inclusive and credible electoral process," the Security Council's Presidential Statement said Wednesday.
The Security Council also strongly condemned any attempts to resort to violence for political purposes and stressed the importance of a peaceful electoral process.
On January 3, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the start of the UN Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi, emphasizing the importance of credible elections in the country.
According to the United Nations, the observation mission is tasked with following and reporting on the presidential, parliamentary and local elections in Burundi between May and September.
