Burundi expels national WHO head during election campaign

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza and Evariste Ndayishimiye presidential candidate with his wife Angeline Ndayubaha attend a campaign rally at the Bugendana Stadium. File picture: Evrard Ngendakumana/Reuters

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza and Evariste Ndayishimiye presidential candidate with his wife Angeline Ndayubaha attend a campaign rally at the Bugendana Stadium. File picture: Evrard Ngendakumana/Reuters

Published May 14, 2020

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Nairobi - Burundi is expelling the

national head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) during a

presidential election campaign where politicians have pressed

ahead with large rallies despite the risk from the coronavirus

pandemic.

The government confirmed on Thursday that a May 12 letter

from the foreign ministry was sent to WHO country head Walter

Kazadi Mulombo and three aides ordering them out by Friday.

The vote for a successor to President Pierre Nkurunziza,

whose government has been repeatedly accused of rights abuses

and has previously expelled other representatives of

international bodies, is due on May 20.

Bernard Ntahiraja, the foreign affairs assistant minister,

confirmed the WHO officials had been declared "persona non

grata" but did not give reasons. There was no immediate comment

from the WHO, which is an agency of the United Nations.

Supporters of Burundi's ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), attend a campaign rally of their presidential candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye at the Bugendana Stadium. File picture: Evrard Ngendakumana/Reuters

Burundi has so far reported a relatively low caseload of the

Covid-19 disease: 27 infections and one death.

In 2018, it expelled UN investigators looking into

allegations of rights abuses. The United Nations has previously

accused security personnel and a ruling party militia of

orchestrating gang rapes, torture and killings. 

Reuters

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