Army denies killing villagers

The Burundian army has been accused by villagers of killing 53 civilians on a hill near Ruyigi town, for refusing to move into a temporary regroupment camp while the soldiers searched for rebels, the BBC reported. It quoted the villagers as saying they had buried 53 bodies, among them 18 women and 16 children, “all with bullet wounds”. “The administration and the military came to our villages two weeks ago and said everybody must leave their houses and go to the regroupment camp,” a villager was quoted as saying. “Those who were killed had refused to go with us.”

Burundi army spokesman Colonel Longin Minani dismissed the accusations as “ridiculous”. He confirmed to IRIN on Tuesday there had been fighting in the Ruyigi area and the army found that up to 50 people had died during the confrontations. “But please take note that it is the rebels who took the civilians hostage and later killed them,” he said. “However, in the confrontation with the army, some of the rebels were also killed.” Minani acknowledged that the authorities urged people to vacate areas where the army wanted to flush out rebels. “But is a lie to say we kill those who refuse,” he added.