| Country: | Burundi |
| Details of Formation: | The CNDD-FDD party created the militia as a home for young former rebel soldiers at the end of 2008 to show the strength of the party. In 2009, the leader of the ruling party officially confirmed the existence of Imbonerakure. |
| Details of Termination: | As of 2020, the militia still exists. |
| Purpose: | Allegedly, the militia is trained to support the army and police in ensuring the safety of citizens and the security of the ruling party’s office. In response to attacks on meeting places of the ruling party, Imbonerakure started marches through the street, shouting death threats aimed at intimidating the political opposition. It is involved in clashes with militants from opposition parties. Starting in 2015, the group has become increasingly important for the government's repressive policy by harassing, intimidating, and controlling the population. The militia uses threats and violence to force citizens to join the CNDD-FDD party, vote in the president’s favour in elections and the referendum, and pay contributions. The ruling party and the intelligence services collaborate with the militia to keep civilians under surveillance and identify and target those suspected to be affiliated with the opposition. The government is suspected of using the militia to systematically target Tutsis with the aim of increasing ethnic tensions and polarizing the political conflict along ethnic lines. |
| Organisation: | The militia operates under the leadership of the ruling party CNDD-FDD, which has created a hierarchical system to manage the group, with leaders existing countrywide at different local levels. The national president of the group is Denis Karera, with Ezéchiel Nibigira its former leader. Imbonerakure participates in (and at times controls) mixed security committees at the local level. The militia closely collaborates with the state security forces, the police, the National Intelligence Service (SNR) and some local government officials. The group receives orders from soldiers, intelligence commanders and the police. At the local level, the group is at times reported as giving orders to the police. It is described as constituting a virtual parallel administration and being above the police, the army, and the judiciary in rural areas. In December 2016, a new law was adopted that could give the militia the status of army reserve forces. |
| Weapons and Training: | Imbonerakure members receive military training by the army. Some training includes ideological indoctrination and the use of traditional weapons. Some members were trained in South Kivu in the DRC in 2014 and 2017. The militia is armed with sticks, iron bars, clubs, stones, hoes, machetes, grenades, rifles, and firearms. The national police and intelligence services provide them with weapons, vehicles, and uniforms. |
| Size: | In 2012, Imbonerakure was reported to consist of several thousand supporters, with the number rising to 100 000 in 2014. In 2017, several hundred thousand members were reported. 20 000 of these members have committed serious violence according to a study. The CNDD-FDD party claims that 3 million persons are part of Imbonerakure. |
| Reason for Membership: | Many members of the militia stem from the youth wing of the ruling party CNDD-FDD rendering their political affiliation as a source of motivation to join the group. They are mainly from the Hutu ethnic group and include former rebel combatants from the Burundian civil war. Some join because of poverty, being promised a government job or reliable work, others were forced to join. Financial rewards are promised to members that kill, arrest, or beat opposition members or prevent demonstrations. While most members are men between 18 and 35 years old, children were also forcefully recruited. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia is responsible for grave human rights violations. These violations include extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, beatings, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. The group gang-raped women it perceived as having opposing political opinions or whose family members were suspected to be government opponents. It also used rape to hinder people from fleeing the country. (Young) girls were raped. The militia uses sexual violence against men as a means of torture or punishment. It attacked journalists who reported on clashes between them and members of the opposition party (FNL). The group targets perceived supporters of the opposition parties, people refusing to join the ruling party or to register for elections. Imbonerakure forces civilians to pay contributions to finance the referendum and elections, supply them with food and help in constructing party and government buildings. Movement and access to public services are restricted by the militia for those not complying. By 2017, half a million people had fled from the insecurity and violence by the Imbonerakure to neighbouring countries. Returning refugees were attacked by the militia, too. The militia uses intense surveillance, arrests civilians, and hands them over to intelligence officials. The group is reported to act with complete impunity. |
| Other Information: | The group’s name Imbonerakure is Kirundi and means “those who see far into the distance”. The militia is frequently dressed in police or military uniforms. Imbonerakure is believed to maintain links with the Rwandan Hutu rebel group FDLR, which is based in eastern DRC. The FDLR is reported to train jointly with Imbonerakure in the DRC and provide the militia with arms and recruits. |
| References: |
Amnesty International. 2020. “Explainer: 10 things Burundi’s new government can do to improve human rights”. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/08/explainer-10-things-burundis-new-government-can-do-to-improve-human-rights/. Amnesty International. 2020. “Burundi: Election campaigns kick-off amid COVID-19, harassment and tension”. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/burundi-election-campaigns-kick-off-amid-covid19-harassment-and-tension/. Human Rights Watch. 2015. “Burundi: Summary Executions by Army, Police. At Least 47 Killed; Independent Investigation Needed”. https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/02/12/burundi-summary-executions-army-police#. Human Rights Watch. 2015. “Burundi: Deadly Police Response to Protests. Investigate Deaths; Allow Peaceful Protest; Permit Radio Stations Back on Air.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/29/burundi-deadly-police-response-protests. Human Rights Watch. 2015. “Burundi: Spate of Arbitrary Arrests, Torture. Intelligence Officials, Ruling Party Youth Target Suspected Opponents.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/08/06/burundi-spate-arbitrary-arrests-torture. Human Rights Watch. 2016. “Burundi: Abductions, Killings, Spread Fear UN Security Council should press for deployment of international police presence.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/26/burundi-abductions-killings-spread-fear. Human Rights Watch. 2016. “Burundi: Intelligence Services Torture Suspected Opponents Dismiss and Prosecute Officials Responsible.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/07/burundi-intelligence-services-torture-suspected-opponents. Human Rights Watch. 2016. “Burundi: Gang Rapes by Ruling Party Youth. Attacks by Members of Youth League, Police on Relatives of Perceived Opponents.” www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/27/burundi-gang-rapes-ruling-party-youth. Human Rights Watch. 2018. “Burundi: Repression Linked to Presidential-Term Vote Opponents Killed, Imprisoned, and Threatened.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/17/burundi-repression-linked-presidential-term-vote. Human Rights Watch. 2018. ““We Will Beat You to Correct You” Abuses Ahead of Burundi’s Constitutional Referendum.” https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/18/we-will-beat-you-correct-you/abuses-ahead-burundis-constitutional-referendum. Human Rights Watch. 2019. ““We Let Our Children Go Hungry to Pay” Abuses Related to the 2020 Election Levy in Burundi.” https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/12/06/we-let-our-children-go-hungry-pay/abuses-related-2020-election-levy-burundi. Human Rights Watch. 2020. “Burundi: Campaigns Begin Amid Clampdown. Media, Civil Society Muzzled; Opposition Targeted.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/27/burundi-campaigns-begin-amid-clampdown. |