New influx of Burundi refugees

Following a recent increase in fighting in Burundi, over 300 refugees have crossed the border into western Tanzania over the last three days, a humanitarian agency told IRIN on Friday. This influx of refugees, most of whom are young men, is the biggest in several months and corresponds with recent reports of further clashes between the forces of the transitional national government and Hutu rebels, said Jesse Kamstra, project coordinator for Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service in Kibondo. "These refugees started arriving a few days after reports of increased fighting," Kamstra said. "From the initial impression we are getting, there are some women and children, but 65 percent of these refugees are young men, about 18 years old, or even younger." "They are from both sides - rebels that are losing and the also the national army. It appears that President Pierre Buyoya's army is using many of the young men as frontliners and when they get a chance to, they flee." This surge of Burundians follows a period of relative calm, during which the number of new arrivals in Kibondo had been as low as 25 a month and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) had been able to facilitate the repatriation of a number of refugees to Burundi. "There is definitely an influx. We have handled much larger numbers in the past - up to a 1,000 a day - but if this continues, there will be thousands more," Kamstra warned. "Among those that came, there were several that had repatriated in May or June, but, because of the increased levels of violence, had felt that it was not safe to stay." The renewed level of uncertainty comes just days before the next round of peace talks are due to begin in the Tanzanian commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, on 16 September.