Pray for Burundi

This disturbing piece from Nicholas Kristof warns of a looming catastrophe in this beloved East African country this weekend. Quotable:

One of the great lessons of modern history is that once an atrocity or civil war begins, it’s very difficult to stop and often spreads to surrounding countries. This is the moment for world leaders to intervene urgently — warning Burundi’s leaders that they will be prosecuted for crimes against humanity if they go that route — not after the slaughter has happened.

This International Crisis Alert includes these ominous words:

… it appears that President Pierre Nkurunziza and those around him intend to use force to end the protests that have been held in Bujumbura since April. The president made public an ultimatum giving the “criminals” seven days to lay down arms. Révérien Ndikuriyo, the Senate president, cryptically warned on 1 November that the police would soon go to “work” and asked district heads to identify “elements which are not in order”. The language is unambiguous to Burundians and chillingly similar to that used in Rwanda in the 1990s before the genocide.

To see what I’ve written in the past about Burundi, click here.