Burundi’s ombudsman, Mohamed Rukara, has uncovered a plot to kill him, his spokesperson has said.“It is those who steal public money,” Jerome Ndiho said, without providing any names.As an independent watchdog, Mr Rukara investigates alleged violations by state officials, including corruption and “targeted killings”. Local groups say the Burundi government shields corrupt people and has failed to tackle political violence.Burundi is struggling with the effects of a 12-year, ethnic-based civil war, which officially ended in 2005 - and political violence has escalated in the wake of disputed elections in 2010.A local rights group, APRODH, has recorded more than 160 killings this year, blaming the security services for many of them.Earlier this month, a report by Human Rights Watch outlined what it describes as the “tit-for-tat killings” of many individuals on both sides of he political divide.The New York-based rights group was banned from holding a press conference in the capital, Bujumbura, about its report. The authorities have said such claims are exaggerated and blamed most of the deaths on armed bandits.The BBC’s Judith Basutama in Bujumbura says people are very worried about the spate of unsolved murders and blame the government for not doing enough to stop the political violence.The UN has also condemned the Burundian government’s failure to tackle “targeted killings”.
