Rebels attack cantonment site

Fighters loyal to rebel leader Pierre Nkurunziza attacked a cantonment site near the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, on Sunday. "The rebels struck late Sunday night, around 1:20 am [23:20 GMT] and the fighting continues around the site," Col Augustin Nzabampema, the army spokesman, told IRIN on Monday. He said heavy fighting between the army and the rebels was continuing, but he did not give casualty figures. The Muyange cantonment site, 30 km northwest of Bujumbura, was to accommodate fighters loyal to Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye and Alain Mugabarabona, leaders of two small rebel groups. The governor of Bubanza Province in the northwest, Isaie Bigirimana, told IRIN that helicopters belonging to the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in the country were patrolling the site and bombing the rebels. He said the residents of the neighbouring Mitakataka and Gatura locations had fled their homes. On Thursday, a unit of the African Union peacekeeping force in Burundi cantoned the first 22 fighters loyal to the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL) rebel faction led by Mugabarabona a Muyange. More FNL fighters were expected at the cantonment site on Monday. However, on Friday, Nkurunziza's Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Force pour la defense de la democratie objected to the cantonment saying the Muyange site was in its stronghold, and threatened to attack the facility.