Army officer, civilians killed in Kayanza

Four people, including a senior Burundi army officer, were killed on 16 June in a number of rebel ambushes near Nyakabindi River in Matongo Commune, Kayanza Province, in the north of the country, ABP news agency reported on Monday. The attackers looted a minibus in a first attack, then killed an army major in an attack on his vehicle and later killed three people in an ambush on a coffee van, it said. Army spokesman Augustin Nzabampema on Monday confirmed the deaths, including that of Major Thimothe Ntijinama, according to AFP. Nzabampema said the attackers were rebels that the army had driven out of Kibira forest.

Local officials in Kayanza were currently involved in efforts “to sensitise people against collaborating with rebels”, after some of them had been helping the rebels with food, shelter and transport, ABP reported. Kayanza has been the target of increased activity by the Forces pour la defense de la democratie (FDD) in the past two months, and WFP reported on 15 June that insecurity was now spreading in Kayanza and Muyinga, among other northern parts of the country.

The Burundi news agency Net Press also reported on Monday that “genocidal terrorists”, who had probably come from Mt Rukambasi, that morning killed five people in an ambush on a minibus taxi in Rubindi District, Nyanza-Lac Commune, in the southern province of Makamba. It said the FDD and FNL [pro-Hutu Front nationale pour la liberation] were reported to be planning an increase in attacks along main trunk roads in order to boost their supplies, and to force the drivers and owners of public taxis to contribute to their war efforts.