About 28 fishermen “kidnapped”

Twenty-eight fishermen were reportedly kidnapped at dawn on Tuesday on Lake Tanganyika, near Burundi’s town of Rumonge by a group assailants who were believed to have come from the DRC. Burundi news agency ABP quoted sources as saying the fishermen, who were aboard two industrial fishing boats owned by Greeks - commonly known as “Abayorogo” were forced to disembark at the Ubwari peninsula in eastern DRC where the kidnappers demanded a significant ransom before freeing them. Ubwari is a base for the Forces pour la defence de la democratie (FDD), those of the Forces nationales pour la liberation (FNL) and the Congolese tribal warriors, the Mayi Mayi.

Meanwhile, a significant number of Interahamwe militias have reportedly infiltrated Cibitoke province, northwestern Burundi from the DRC, ABP said. The number of the infiltrators have remained “unclear”, but the residents of Buganda commune which borders DRC have said they could be close to 1,000 people. ABP quoted local government officials as putting their number between 150 and 200 people. Security forces are pursuing the rebels, ABP added.