The political crisis and violence in Burundi have claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people and displaced thousands, according to a United Nations Human Rights Council report.

The UN Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB) established by the Human Rights Council in December last year investigated violations of human rights and pointed at abuses.

But Martin Nivyabandi, Burundi’s Minister of Human Rights said the report was politically motivated as the findings were only based on information sourced from the opposition.

“The report indicates that there are illegal detention facilities but all detention centers in the country are official,” said a government statement in response to the report.

READ: Burundi on the verge of genocide, crimes against humanity -UN

The opposition says that the UN findings should be considered as evidence that the government has failed to recognise that torture and other abuses exist in the country.

“Instead of rejecting the report, it would be better if the government addressed the issues and engaged in an all inclusive dialogue with the opposition,” said Agathon Rwasa, the National Assembly Deputy Speaker. He however downplayed the claims of genocide. “What is going on IN the ground has its own definition and the picture… so it depends on who is speaking and why he is speaking,” he said. 

UNIIB urged the UN Security Council and other international actors to take action to preserve the achievements made in the Arusha Accord and in the 2005 Constitution, which led to the longest period of peace Burundi has known since its Independence.

The actions urged by UNIIB include immediate setting up of an international Commission of inquiry, the involvement of other independent international judicial processes, reconsideration of Burundi’s membership of the Human Rights Council and possible invocation of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

Chapter VII may entail sanctions and other monitoring mandatory measures including an arms embargo, travel bans, financial or diplomatic restrictions (Article 41) and the authorisation of the use of force by a peacekeeping operation.

However, the Burundi government had rejected the deployment of s peacekeeping mission in the country, warning that it could be regarded as an invasion in the country.