Burundi is still one of the basket cases in Africa and since my lats post nothing has improved [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/burundi-what-more-early-warning-does-one-need/]. The Special Session of the Human Rights Council in December 2015 mandated the High Commissioner for Human Rights to put together an expert mission to Burundi, to investigate abuses and make recommendations to the Council and the Burundian government on ways of ending serious human rights violations. But the follow-up is below par:
On 15 January 2016 the United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights warned that deeply worrying new trends are emerging in crisis-torn Burundi, including cases of sexual violence by security forces and a sharp increase in enforced disappearances and torture cases. The High Commissioner noted that the total number of people killed rose to at least 130 in December, double the number of killings during the previous month. As of 14 January, at least 439 people had been killed since 26 April. “There is rampant impunity for all the human rights violations being committed by security forces and the Imbonerakure, despite ample evidence that they are responsible for more and more serious crimes,” Mr. Zeid said. “This is an indication that a complete breakdown in law and order is just around the corner and, with armed opposition groups also becoming more active, and the potentially lethal ethnic dimension starting to rear its head, this will inevitably end in disaster if the current rapidly deteriorating trajectory continues.”
On 26 January 2016 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that the team of independent experts mandated to probe violations and abuses in Burundi has not been able to enter the country. “The experts have been mandated by the [UN Human Rights] Council to swiftly investigate violations and abuses of human rights in Burundi, make recommendations on the improvement of the human rights situation and to engage in a dialogue with the authorities and other relevant actors of the ongoing crisis,” Cécile Pouilly, an OHCHR spokesperson, told reporters in Geneva at a press briefing.
On 5 February 2016 Elsa Buchanan 
reported in the IB Times that three Kenyan human-rights defenders, who have been been documenting and denouncing human-rights violations in Burundi, now claim to have received death threats via text messages sent to their mobile phones. The first, Cidi Otieno David, is the convener of the Kenyan pressure group Coalition for Constitution Implementation (CCI Kenya), a national movement that brings together several NGOs in the country. He has also been coordinating the Kenya activities of the Burundi Solidarity Group, a group that has been denouncing rights violations in Burundi. Otieno’s colleagues, Wilfred Olal and Ferdinand Manirerekana, have also participated in the group’s activities, advocating against ongoing extrajudicial killings in Burundi and engaging in social-media campaigns. Otieno received the text message at around 5pm on 2 February, while his colleagues received similar messages around the same time. The text, pictured below, reads: “You have exposed our masters to death we are ready to kill you. We know where you live you think you know Burundi better than us”
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All this in the context that Burundi was recently elected to be a member of the Human Rights Council as from 2016. While the UN Resolution adopted in December touched on this issue, but very weakly by merely urging Burundi to ‘be mindful’ of the obligation on members to ‘uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights’. ‘I agree with Michael Ineichen of the ISHR who commented that “we regret the Council’s failure to explicitly state member States’ obligation to cooperate with it, and condition Burundi’s membership on doing so” …‘Indeed, full cooperation by the authorities with the urgent OHCHR mission, and an immediate halt to the serious human rights violations, should be a prerequisite for Burundi to commence its term on 1 January.’ See also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/suspension-membership-council/
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
February 25, 2016 at 19:01
[…] Burundi: Following the special session of the Human Rights Council on Burundi in December 2015, on 21 March 2016 there will be an enhanced interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in Burundi. This session will also see the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders present his mission report on the situation of human rights defenders in Burundi, following a visit in November 2014. [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/special-rapporteur-in-burundi-respect-the-work-of-human-rights-defenders-like-mbonimpa/]. During the special session on Burundi, ISHR made a statement to the Human Rights Council welcoming the enhanced UN human rights monitoring and investigation role envisaged in the resolution adopted by consensus at the session. Regrettably, not only has the situation in Burundi deteriorated since then, but the Burundian Government has yet to accept and facilitate access for the mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), or to address the human rights concerns raised in the special session resolution.[see: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/] […]
March 2, 2016 at 19:12
[…] has severely hampered efforts to identify and implement a sustainable resolution to the crisis [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/]. Although there is now a bit of hope as three investigators are due to visit Burundi for a week […]
August 29, 2016 at 11:16
[…] present [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/burundi-what-more-early-warning-does-one-need; https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/]. And the situation […]
September 12, 2016 at 12:21
[…] Following the special session of the Human Rights Council on Burundi in December 2015, an interactive dialogue on the situation in Burundi is scheduled to take place on 27 September. From 13 to 17 June three human rights experts of the United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi conducted their second visit to Burundi to address the human rights concerns raised in the special session Human Rights Council resolution. The experts will present their final report to the Human Rights Council this session. The gravity of human rights violations and the level of State responsibility in Burundi is unacceptable. [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/] […]
October 26, 2016 at 18:02
[…] and the gross and systematic violations of human rights occurring in the country. [see also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/]. Here the main […]
June 1, 2017 at 16:34
[…] Burundi The commission of inquiry on Burundi will present an oral update on 14 and 15 June. ISHR remains concerned by consistent and deliberate lack of cooperation with human rights mechanisms in Burundi. The country continues to refuse to cooperate with UN Human Rights Council’s Independent Experts and despite the international community’s efforts to mitigate a human rights crisis, the situation continues to deteriorate. ISHR calls on the Burundian authorities to cease attacks against journalists and defenders and to cooperate with the UN commission of inquiry and implement the recommendations from both UN and African Commission reports. [see inter alia: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/] […]
February 24, 2018 at 14:21
[…] the General Assembly to consider the suspension of Burundi as a member of the Council. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/] For more information on the situation of human rights defenders in Burundi, check ISHR Briefing […]
October 26, 2018 at 10:01
[…] Amazingly Burundi is also a current member of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council [see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/]. […]