Thousands of Burundians flee conflict

Four thousand new Burundian refugees fleeing heavy fighting in Makamba province have been registered in western Tanzania over the past two weeks and many more are expected to arrive, UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski said on Friday. The refugees, who arrived at four points near the town of Kasulu, said they fled conflict between Burundian government forces and rebels around the village of Susumwa. They reported that government troops were trying to “move civilians forcibly into camps so that young males are not pressed into the rebel ranks”, Janowski said. Meanwhile, rebels are reported to be harassing the population in an effort to drive people into exile, he said. Refugees have told UNHCR that many homes are being burned in the process. Space around Tanzania’s Nduta refugee camp, which hosted about 40,000 people before the latest influx, is being urgently identified to accommodate the increase in new arrivals, Janowski added.