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Fighting displaces 30,000 in Makamba

    NAIROBI

    In the region of 30,000 people have been displaced in Makamba Province in the southeast of the country in the past fortnight by Hutu rebel attacks and clashes between the rebels and the Burundi army. A new onslaught by FDD rebels started on Sunday 30 April, when a large contingent of rebels crossed into Burundi from Tanzania, humanitarian sources said. The rebels sought to seize territory in Mbizi commune and there was serious fighting in Kibago through the first week of May, news organisations quoted Colonel Bernard Bijoya, commander of the 5th Military Region in the southeast, as saying. Two hundred or more rebels were reported killed, but there were no details available of civilian or army casualties. The FDD appeared to be keen to seize control of Makamba to strengthen its negotiating position in talks with Nelson Mandela, the facilitator of the Arusha peace process, later this month, according to sources in Bujumbura.

    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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