Seven government soldiers killed

Seven government soldiers and an unspecified number of rebels were killed over the weekend near the capital Bujumbura, military sources told IRIN. “The heavy fighting resulted in the death of many rebels and seven of our soldiers,” a military source said. The Associated Press(AP), quoting a military officer on condition of anonymity, on Sunday reported that fighting took place 15 km south of Bujumbura along the main highway connecting the capital with Lake Tanganyika. Representatives of the Burundi government and two rebel factions, the Forces pour la defense de la democratie (FDD) and the Front pour la liberation national (FROLINA), which did not take part the negotiations which led to last month’s accord in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha, are scheduled to meet in Nairobi on 20 September to negotiate a ceasefire.