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President Pierre Buyoya's spokesman on Friday denied allegations by the rebel Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie (CNDD) that the government was planning to attack Tanzanian refugee camps hosting Burundians. Presidential spokesman Apollinaire Gahungu told IRIN that the CNDD's claim was "false and without foundation". While there were "infiltrations" into Burundi from Tanzanian territory, his country would not attack Tanzania but would instead call for more cooperation between
the two governments, he said. "There have been discussions on the
matter...The border is quite porous and it can be hard for Tanzanian authorities to control it. We understand this and so when incidents occur, we consult with the government" of Tanzania, Gahungu said.
The CNDD, citing "various and well-informed sources", said in a statement received by IRIN on Thursday that the Burundian army was preparing an attack on Tanzania's refugee camps. The CNDD "will not watch helplessly the killings of innocent refugees without reacting," the statement said.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
