Rebel movements reconsider joining government

Three Burundian rebel movements have said they plan to reconsider their participation in the transitional government as it has "no authority over the defence and security services" to protect the Burundi population.

The statement was issued on 20 September by Leonard Nyangoma of the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD), Joseph Karumba of the Front pour la liberation nationale (FROLINA), and Antoine Sezoya Ngabo of the Parti pour la liberation du peuple Hutu (PALIPEHUTU) in response to the reported massacre of over 170 people in central Gitega province on 9 September.

The three rebel groups said the massacre showed that the transitional government had no control over the army, and that the installation of such a government under the Arusha accords was "not enough to protect the civil population". They added that the Burundi people would not be able to enjoy all their rights - including the right to life - unless a "really national" or ethnically mixed army was created to replace the current one.

The three rebel movements accused the army of having killed "several hundred innocent people" on 9 September and called on the international community to impose sanctions on arms deliveries.

Army spokesman Colonel Augustin Nzabampema told IRIN on Friday that rebel fighters were "fully responsible" for the massacres. "We waited for four days before launching the operations in order to allow them [civilians] to leave the combat zones. The responsibility for those who were killed lies squarely on rebel shoulders," he said.

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