Army officers imprisoned for Itaba killings

Two army officers have been imprisoned in connection with the killing of some 173 people in Itaba, in the central province of Gitega, Net Press reported on Thursday. The officers, whom Net Press identified as Maj Budigoma and Lt Ngendakuriyo, are being held at the Gitega Central Prison. Their arrest followed "intense pressure" from Hutu parties in the country. "It is the first time that military officers have been imprisoned following army operations," Net Press, a Bujumbura news organ, reported. Speaking from Bujumbura on 26 September, Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene Khan told IRIN that all those killed in Itaba had been civilians, including women and children. She described the act as "cold-blooded", and said Burundian President Pierre Buyoya had promised that the state would prosecute those who had ordered the killings. The massacre occurred on 9 September, but was only made public several days later. It is unclear what prompted the killings although the army has been active in trying to put down a rebellion by Hutu fighters in parts of the country. Burundian soldiers also killed at least 100 civilians in July in the province of Muramvya, northwest of Gitega, the Missionary Service News Agency reported on Wednesday, citing a report from an independent parliamentary commission of inquiry. The first reports of this incident emerged a day after Buyoya confirmed that soldiers had been responsible for the Itaba killings.