Risk Briefing March

The monthly risk briefing reports on new, emerging or deteriorating situations; therefore, ongoing events that are considered to be unchanged are not featured and risks that are beyond the scope and scale of the Start Fund are also not featured. It is collated by the Start Network Anticipation team using information from academia and research institutes, government departments, ACAPS, global risk indexes, risk information provided by Start Members and their partners, and the media. Key risks are shared and collated each month with FOREWARN input.

What is high priority this month?

Pre-election violence in Burundi ahead of 20 May Presidential elections with media reporting 22 deaths during a week in February. Crisis Group reported the harassment and arrests of opposition supporters, and the military conducted cross-border operation in DR Congo against a Burundian rebel group. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Burundi have noted a deterioration in the situation in terms of risk of political, economic and security instability. The commission has called on the international community to encourage the government to reopen the country’s democratic, civil and political space.