BUJUMBURA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Burundian government Wednesday issued a statement whereby it rejected a resolution of the UN Security Council on the deployment of 228 UN police agents to monitor Burundi's deteriorating security and human rights situation.
"The Burundian government was surprised to hear that the UN Security Council hastily adopted Resolution 2303 of sending 228 UN police agents to Burundi. The decision has terrible consequences for other countries because the decision was taken without the consent of Burundi," said Burundian government spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba in the statement.
He stressed that the resolution was adopted in violation of Chapter Six of the UN Charter that provides that such a decision would have been taken "after consulting" the involved state.
Nzobonariba indicated that Burundi had earlier made its proposal through diplomatic channels, but the proposal was not taken into account by France, the country that initiated the resolution.
"Burundi is against any decision on the deployment of foreign troops on the country's territory after violating the UN Charter and the sovereignty and the independence of Burundi," said Nzobonariba.
He indicated that peace and security have improved as defense and security forces have been doing well countrywide.
Nzobonariba added that the deployment of 200 African Union (AU) military and human rights monitors will soon take place as talks are underway between the AU and the Burundian government.
According to him, final touches are being made on the Memorandum of Understanding between the AU and the Burundian government.
"The international police force should rather be sent to Rwanda because those who are destabilizing Burundi are trained in refugee camps hosting Burundians in Rwanda as evidenced by the UN Security Council in several reports," he said.
Through the statement, Nzobonariba reiterated the Burundian government commitment to collaborate with the UN on all issues related to peace, security and human rights.
"We are also glad on the step reached in the inter-Burundian dialogue and we commend efforts made by Benjamin Mkapa, facilitator in the conflict and former Tanzanian President. No one should however interfere in his assignment," said Nzobonariba.
According to him, the deployment of an international police force will "strengthen terrorists" and might be at the origin of a genocide as the Rwandan experience showed in 1994.
"We are convinced that foreign troops will protect terrorists," he said.
On July 29, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2303 authorizing the deployment of up to 228 police forces to Burundi for an initial period of a year.
However, the Burundian government said it would only accept no more than 50 UN police forces.
On July 30, thousands of Burundian citizens staged a march in the streets of the capital Bujumbura, protesting against the deployment of a UN international police force into Burundi.
Burundi plunged into bloody chaos from April 2015 when the east African country's President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to vie for the presidency for a third five-year-term.
More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and some 270,000 people fled to neighboring countries, mostly Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak of the crisis.
