The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Friday requesting Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to present options for deploying a UN police force to better monitor the security situation in Burundi, dpa reported. The council has been concerned over the East African country since Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza announced almost a year ago that he would seek a third term in office, despite a constitutional two-term limit, and won an election in July. More than 400 people have been killed in the ensuing crackdown on political dissidents, and more than 250,000 people have fled the country, according to the United Nations. The French-drafted resolution requests Ban, in consultation with Burundi and the African Union, to present options to the Security Council on deploying a UN police component "as soon as possible and no later than 15 days" from the adoption of the text. The police contribution will aim to "increase the United Nations capacity to monitor the security situation, promote the respect of human rights and advance rule of law."
