127 killed in clashes, army spokesman says

A total of 123 Forces pour la defence de la democratie (FDD) rebels and four government soldiers were killed in military offensives launched by the army in central and northern Burundi from 5 May, army spokesman Col Augustin Nzabampema told IRIN on Tuesday. "One hundred FDD rebels of Peter Nkurunziza were killed in heavy clashes at Ndubura and Ruce in Bubanza province [in the north] last week," Nzabampema said. Ndubura and Ruce are near Kibira forest, which is an FDD stronghold. "They left Kibira and tried to occupy the two localities [Ndubura and Ruce] but the army repulsed them. On our side, we lost two soldiers and four others were injured," Nzabampema said. "On Sunday [11 May], the same rebels attacked Nyabihanga commune in the central province of Mwaro but the army responded strongly and killed 23 rebels. Two government soldiers also died," Nzabampema said. According to Nzabampema, the FDD "has chosen the way of violence by shelling the civil population", even though it has signed a ceasefire agreement. However, FDD spokesman Gélase Daniel Ndabirabe dismissed the army's claims, accusing it of intensifying its offensive against FDD positions, especially in Bubanza province. "We did not lose fighters during the army offensive, only civilians died and they were killed by the army," Ndabirabe said. "The army has an objective of driving FDD rebels away from the country, this is not possible; it is a way of distracting the attention of the international community. The army has no will to implement the ceasefire truce," the FDD spokesman said, adding that the army was against the integration of FDD rebels into the security forces under the transitional government in Burundi. Newly inaugurated Burundi President Domitien Ndayizeye declared on Sunday that the government could not "weakly watch" the FDD attacks, "particularly when they are directed at innocent people". This was in reference to recent FDD shelling of a suburb in the capital, Bujumbura. On a visit to Uganda and Tanzania on Sunday and Monday, Ndayizeye appealed to the countries to help make sure that ceasefire agreements signed with rebel groups were respected. "They promised to help me, to be more persistent with the CNDD-FDD [Conseil national pour la defence de la democratie-Forces pour la defence de la democratie] so that the movement can send its officials to the ceasefire commission. They also promised to assist me in making them [the rebels] understand that we must meet - that is, a meeting between the CNDD-FDD and the government - to discuss their entry into institutions," Ndayizeye told Radio Burundi.