AFRICA/BURUNDI - Several thousand flee rebel attacks in north west Burundi

Wednesday, 12 September 2007

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Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides)- About 4,000 people were forced to abandon their homes in Bubanza province in north west Burundi after attacks by the country's last rebel group National Liberation Forces FLN which has not yet signed a peace pact with the Bujumbura authorities.
According to Pascal Nyabenda governor of Bubanza province the guerrillas came out of their forest hiding places and sacked homes in Kibira and Rukoko. The homeless families shelter in local parish at night. They go to work in the fields during the day and return at sunset to the parish compound.
The governor said the rebels failed to respect the agreement that they would gather in three camps.
On 3 September in the Buterere district of Bujumbura, people were forced from their homes because of fighting between two rival rebel factions in which about 20 were killed (see Fides 4 September 2007). The governor of Bubanza said some of the men involved in the fighting were from his province. At the moment there is a situation of precarious calm.
The FNL signed a cease fire agreement with the government in September last year, but talks to define a process of disarmament and demobilisation of the militia stalled. The last time the president of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza and FNL leader Aghaton Rwasa met, was on 17 June this year in Tanzania, a country involved in mediation in the Burundian crisis which has dragged on since 1993. On that occasion the President promised to respect the agreement and release FNL members detained in Burundian prisons.
FNL spokesman, Pasteur Habimana, did not deny that FNL members may have been involved in sacking, but he accused the international community of “not keeping its promise to supply food, clothing and medicine” to the rebels, as established in the 2006 agreement. Habimana asked for the team of mediators led by South Africa's minister of security to be replaced. The request was rejected by the African Union. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/9/2007 righe 30 parole 384)