Rebel FNL sacks leader

A split in the military command of the Burundi rebel movement Parti pour la liberation du peuple hutu - Forces nationales de liberation (PALIPEHUTU-FNL) has led to the sacking of its leader, Cossan Kabura, and his replacement as leader by one of its other top commanders, Rwasa Agathon. “During the nine years he [Kabura] has spent as leader of the party, he has never convened a single national congress, even though that is the forum for taking important political decisions,” a statement from PALIPEHUTU-FNL’s western command said. “He has turned the party into a personal and family business.” The statement accused Kabura of bringing about “general confusion” within the movement and of “betraying the fighters” by refusing to visit them on the ground nor to give them moral and material support. “During his visits to the refugee camps in Tanzania...he stirred up ill-feelings among the activists, the fighters and their leaders, based on regionalism,” the statement added. It said that in addition to Kabura, the movement’s acting chief of staff Nestor Nizigama, the secretary-general Paul Ndirariha and the treasurer Jacques Minani, had also been relieved of their functions. The new vice-president of the movement was named as Jean-Bosco Sindayigaya. AFP cited the group’s head of operation, Anicet Ntawuhiganayo, as saying Kabura was sacked because he took part in South Africa peace talks “on his own behalf”.

Agathon has until now been commander of some 2,000 FNL fighters in the western zone, comprising most of the group’s total manpower, AFP reported. There were reliable reports in recent days of clashes between the rival Kabura and Agathon wings of the FNL around Bujumbura, where most of the group’s forces were concentrated, it said.