The UN has reacted by upgrading the security phase under which staff operate in Burundi. “Phase Four” has been imposed which means that non-essential international staff will leave the country, according to a UN statement. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who visited Burundi on Thursday met government officials and President Pierre Buyoya who assured him they would do all they could to improve security arrangements for humanitarian workers. According to a press statement by OCHA-Burundi, Vieira de Mello said violence against humanitarian staff was a violation of international law and stressed that the UN could not continue working in situations where there were no security guarantees.
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