Bujumbura (Fides Service) - A few days before the new president of Burundi is due to be sworn into office, rebels have launched a new military offensive. In the past week rebel artillery has hit several districts of the capital Bujumbura and also the cities of Ruyigi and Rutana in the north east, where there is still combat.
On the basis of agreements signed in Arusha Tanzania a national transition government was formed under the presidency of Tutsi Pierre Buyoya. On May 1, President Buyoya should hand over power to vice president Hutu Domitien Ndayezeye. The Arusha agreement was not signed by one faction of the Forces for the Defence of Democracy FDD which is trying to get back into the political game by launching this latest military offensive.
The new outbreak of fighting comes while the Church is actively working to promote a culture of peace. "Before Easter - a Burundian priest whom we do not name for security reasons told Fides Service - we organised two large meetings at Rumonge and Rutovu to give the people a chance to discuss the future of their country: how to bring the peace process to completion, how to insert into civil society the many Burundian refugees still living in camps here and in neighbouring countries. The meetings were open to everyone, and were attended by Catholics, other Christians and also Muslims. We continue to call the people to take part in meetings even now that fighting has been resumed. We want to install an atmosphere of trust: fear is a bad adviser and can make the neighbour into an enemy. We want to interrupt the spiral of violence which has devastated Burundi for too long ". LM (Fides Service 24/4/2003 EM lines 24 Words: 279)