Protesters dispersed, scores arrested

Police in Bujumbura at the weekend dispersed members of the largest Tutsi opposition party, PARENA, who attempted to demonstrate in the capital protesting, against the government peace moves, news organisations reported. According to Reuters, helmeted policemen patrolling the centre of Bujumbura dispersed and arrested groups of hardline protesters from the Tutsi minority at the independence square near the capital’s central market to prevent them from staging a demonstration. It quoted the party’s general secretary, Remi Ntengurutse, as telling journalists that police had arrested between 30 and 40 party members as they sought to organise demonstrations against plans to end the country’s eight-year civil war. “Some of them were taken at home early in the morning, the others at the place where they were to meet with other demonstrators,” Ntengurutse said. “We protest against arrests of members of our party who wanted to protest against the 11 conditions accepted by the new leadership of the transition, especially against the dismantling of the army and the invasion of the foreign troops,” he added. Meanwhile, three military officers have been arrested in connection with last month’s failed coup attempt, Reuters said.