Born: 24 June 1960, Burundi
Died: NA
Country most active: Burundi
Also known as: NA
Eulalie Nibizi is a Burundian trade unionist and human rights activist. In 1991, she helped establish Burdundi’s first trade union, Union des travailleurs du Burundi, to protect the interests of the teachers at the school where she worked. But when the government required all officials to become members, she soon distanced herself from the organization because she no longer believed it could act as a trade union.
She went on to found the teachers’ union Syndicat des Travailleurs de l’Enseignement du Burundi and focused her efforts on her role as president. She was particularly successful in 2002 when a general strike resulted in a special agreement and financial compensation for teachers as a result of concerted pressure from the union. Her activism led to periods of imprisonment in 1997 and 2004.
She has lived in exile since 2015, when while in Denmark, she discovered that Burundian authorities were treating her as an insurgent. After criticizing Burundi’s president Pierre Nkurunziza, she was placed on a black list of enemies of the state. She has reported to the United Nations on human rights violations in Burundi, and Burundian representatives formally requested the UN withdraw her UN Economic and Social Council access badge. Working as a coordinator of the human rights organization Coalition Burundaise des Défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme, she continues to fight for human rights for all Burundians. She has called on exiled Burundian defenders of human rights to work in collaboration for the future: “The members of our coalition are scattered all over the world. It is crucial to support and connect them, so that, together, we can build a better future for our country, based on foundations of peace and human rights.”