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Army denies reports of over 40 deaths in rebel attacks

Burundi army spokesman Colonel Longin Minani has denied press reports claiming over 40 people had died recently in rebel attacks. “That is totally wrong,” Minani told IRIN on Wednesday. “As far as we know, on 19-20 January in Rutana, our soldiers killed 20 rebels, although we believe there were probably some civilians among them who had been taken hostage.” He said the army was still pursuing the rebels. “When we kill them, we do not need to announce it in the press,” he added.

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

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