Army cadets killed in rebel ambush

Twenty-seven army cadets were ambushed and killed by suspected rebels some 22 km from the capital Bujumbura, Radio Umwizero in Burundi reported. It said the attack occurred on Sunday night near Matara, on the Bujumbura-Ijenda road, as the cadets were returning from a handball match in the southern Bururi province. According to the radio, the ambush was laid by over 1,000 men along a two km stretch of road. The dead cadets were students at Burundi’s national military academy, the Higher Institute for Military Officers.

The Agence burundaise de presse said about 10 people survived the attack. Some reports added that a number of civilians were also killed in the ambush. The private Netpress news agency blamed the attack on the rebel PALIPEHUTU-FNL, who have so far failed to take part in the peace process. The attack comes as peace talks resumed in the Tanzanian town of Arusha on Monday, and as government and rebel CNDD-FDD representatives gathered in South Africa to discuss a possible ceasefire.