Burundi marks Men’s Day amid condemnation of violence against men

BURUNDI joined the world for the first time in celebrating the International Men’s Day, as Association for the Protection of the Man in Distress (APHD- Burundi) denounced violence inflicted to men by their wives.In a declaration to the media on Monday, the APHD-Burundi, an NGO, called on police to investigate into the violence some women are ‘carrying out on men.‘”In Burundi, some men are killed while others are chased, harassed or left with their children in their households by their own spouses,” said Vincent Bukuru, chairman of the APHD-Burundi. According to Bukuru, some men are “unfortunately” held in prisons on “simple suspicions” of committing violence on their spouses.“Our association (APHD-Burundi) calls for a national investigation on types and origins of violence that men are facing, their consequences and their gravity because this is a violation of human rights,” said Bukuru.Bukuru said cases of violence on men increased in Burundi during the country’s political crisis between 1993 and 2005. “Violence on men rises when the man loses his job, during the end of year festivities (Christmas and New Year) and at the International Women’s Day (March 8),” said the APHD-Burundi chief.Bukuru called on the Burundian government to acknowledge that “men also undergo gender-based violence.”