BURUNDI-POLITICS: ATTACKS IN NORTHEAST KILL 20

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

CHARLES WACHIRA

NAIROBI, Nov 23 1994 (IPS) - UNIDENTIFIED ASSAILLANTS KILLED ABOUT 20 PEOPLE IN NORTHEASTERN BURUNDI, A REGION WHICH HAS SEEN AN UPSURGE OF ETHNIC BLOODSHED IN RECENT WEEKS, BURUNDI’S NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY REPORTED WEDNESDAY.

THE KILLINGS OCCURRED OVERNIGHT SUNDAY IN KIRUNDO PROVINCE. ANOTHER PERSON DIED IN THE SAME PROVINCE OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN A GRENADE ATTACK WAS LAUNCHED ON THE DISTRICT ADMINITRATOR’S HOME IN VUMBI, THE AGENCY SAID.

NO DETAILS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE KILLINGS WERE GIVEN, NOR WERE THE ETHNIC IDENTITIES OF VICTIMS REVEALED.

THE KIRUNDO REGION IS SATURATED WITH CAMPS FOR DISPLACED BURUNDIANS AND REFUGEES FROM NEIGHBOURING RWANDA. BURUNDI AND RWANDA HAVE SIMILAR POPULATIONS, WITH HUTUS IN THE MAJORITY AND TUTSIS IN THE MINORITY. THE TWO COUNTRIES SHARE A HISTORY OF ETHNIC CONFLICT.

SKIRMISHES AND MASSACRES HAVE WRACKED BURUNDI, WHERE ARMED HUTUS CLAIMING LOYALTY TO FORMER MINISTER OF INTERIOR LEONARD NYANGOMA, HAVE DECLARED WAR ON THE MAINLY TUTSI ARMY.

NYANGOMA, EXILED IN NEIGHBOURING ZAIRE, HAS CREATED A PARTY CALLED THE ‘COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY’ (CDD), WHICH HAS SOME 30,000 ARMED SUPPORTERS, ACCORDING TO ITS MEMBERS.

LAST WEEK, 16 CDD ATTACKERS AND TWO OTHERS WERE KILLED IN AN OFFENSIVE AGAINST A MILITARY CAMP AT BUYENGERO IN THE SOUTHERN BURUI PROVINCE, WHERE MANY TUTSI ARMY OFFICERS COME FROM.

MONDAY, A NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER WAS BADLY WOUNDED IN THE REGION WHEN HE WAS SHOT BY A LOCAL OFFICIAL WHOSE HOME HE PLANNED TO SEARCH, ACCORDING TO REPORTS WHICH GAVE NO MORE DETAILS.

SOURCES CLOSE TO THE SECURITY FORCES SAID GROUPS OF ARMED CCD SUPPORTERS IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY WERE BEING DISMANTLED.

NYANGOMA IS A DISSIDENT OF HEAD OF STATE, SYLVESTRE NTIBANTUNGANYA, WHOM HE ACCUSES OF MAKING TOO MANY CONCESSIONS OVER POWER SHARING TO THE TUTSI DOMINATED ARMY AND OPPOSITION.

NTIBANTUNGANYA’S FREDEBU PARTY HAS FORMED A COALITION WITH THE OPPOSITION IN A BID TO STAVE OFF THE KIND OF ETHNIC SAVAGERY THAT CLAIMED UP TO A MILLION LIVES IN RWANDA AFTER THE FORMER HUTU PRESIDENTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES WERE KILLED IN AN APRIL 6 PLANE CRASH.