he African Union (AU) has announced a plan to
send 5,000 peacekeepers to protect civilians in
Burundi, even without the government's consent.
The proposal was approved by the AU's Peace
and Security Council but will need to get the
backing of the UN.
On Thursday the AU said it would not allow
genocide to take place in Burundi.
But Burundi said if the AU sent troops with the
government's consent it would consider the move
"an attack" on it.
Government official Philippe Nzobonariba told the
BBC Great Lakes service that the legal process
should be followed, and suggested that a
peacekeeping force would be better employed in
Rwanda.
Burundi has previously accused its neighbour of
training rebels seeking to destabilise the country.
Africa Live: BBC news updates
Is Burundi on the verge of ethnic conflict?
Tit-for-tat killings spread fear
Unrest in Burundi began in April when President
Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a
third term in office. He survived a coup attempt in
May, and secured a third term in disputed
elections in July.
The proposal by the AU marks the first time it
has invoked a rule allowing it to deploy a force
without a country's consent, the BBC's Anne Soy
reports from Nairobi.
The clause in the AU charter allows it to intervene
in a member state because of grave
circumstances, which include war crimes,
genocide and crimes against humanity.
The decision comes amid fears that violence
could spiral into civil war and possible ethnic
conflict.
Diplomatic moves to prevent a civil war in
Burundi have recently accelerated with the UN,
the European Union and the East African
Community fearful of the impact of worsening
violence both on the local population and the
region.
At a special session convened at the US' request
to discuss the conflict, the UN Human Rights
Council resolved to despatch independent
investigators to Burundi to probe abuses.
The government has said there is no threat of
genocide.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid
Ra'ad al-Hussein said on Thursday that " Burundi
is at bursting point, on the very cusp of a civil
war" which could have "ethnic overtones" similar
to past conflicts in Burundi.
At least 400 people have been killed, nearly 3,500
arrested and at least 220,000 people have fled
the country since April, Mr Hussein said.
The worst spate of killings happened last Friday
when 87 people were killed in clashes in the
capital, Bujumbura.
An AU fact-finding mission returned from Burundi
on Sunday and in its preliminary findings it said
"members of the team heard reports of arbitrary
killings, torture and the arbitrary... closure of
some civil society organisations and the media".
Ethnic conflict between Hutus and Tutsis in the
1990s claimed an estimated 300,000 lives.
Mr Nkurunziza is the former leader of a Hutu
rebel group, who has been in power since a 2005
peace deal.
Both the government and the opposition are
ethnically mixed.
Timeline - Burundi crisis
April 2015 - Protests erupt after President
Pierre Nkurunziza announces he will seek a
third term in office.
May 2015 - Constitutional court rules in
favour of Mr Nkurunziza, amid reports of
judges being intimidated. Tens of thousands
flee violence amid protests.
May 2015 - Army officers launch a coup
attempt, which fails.
July 2015 - Elections are held, with Mr
Nkurunziza re-elected. The polls are
disputed, with opposition leader Agathon
Rwasa describing them as "a joke".
November 2015 - Burundi government gives
those opposing President Nkurunziza's third
term five days to surrender their weapons
ahead of a promised crackdown.
November 2015 - UN warns it is less
equipped to deal with violence in Burundi
than it was for the Rwandan genocide.
December 2015 - 87 people killed on one day
as soldiers respond to an attack on military
sites in Bujumbura
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