Government investigating massacre of 183 people

A commission has been established by the Burundi government to investigate the massacre of 183 people on 9 September by unknown gunmen in Itaba Commune, central Gitega Province. After learning about the massacre, the government decided to form an investigation commission consisting of members of the army and officials from Gitega Province, government spokesman Albert Mbonerane told IRIN on Thursday. He added that the commission should present its preliminary report on Thursday. The commission's duty was to shed light on when exactly the massacre took place, how it was carried out, and who died. Meanwhile, the executive secretary of the Front pour la Démocratie au Burundi (FRODEBU), Jean de Dieu Mutabazi, requested on private Radio Bonesha that an independent inquiry involving local and international human rights organisations should be established to avoid a "false report". Egide Niyongabo of the independent human rights advocacy body, Iteka, confirmed to IRIN that it had sent observers to the area and would return with its findings next Sunday. It is unknown who is responsible for the killings. Speaking on Radio Bonesha, army spokesman Colonel Augustin Nzabampema said the military bore no responsibility for the massacre. "What will happen, if it is found that innocent civilians were caught in the fighting, is that total responsibility for this will fall on the assailants who took for granted the good faith of the residents," he said. He added that the army agreed that an inquiry should be launched, as requested by FRODEBU. The rebel Forces pour la defense de la democratie (FDD) has reportedly accused the army of killing "over 1,000" people. AFP quoted FDD spokesman Gelasse-Daniel Ndadirabe as saying: "On Monday 9 September, the army massacred more than 1,000 people it had gathered, purportedly to protect them." The initial report about the massacre was issued by the Itaba Commune administrator who had informed the Gitega governor, Mbonerane said. The information was revealed publicly on Tuesday by the chairman of the parliamentary human rights committee, Leonidas Ntibayazi. He told Radio Bonesha that of the 183 dead, 112 had been identified as local inhabitants. He described the massacre as a "war crime". "I find it hard to understand how a week has elapsed and no-one has ever spoken of those who were killed," he said. "Be it administrative authorities or for that matter any authority, no-one has ever spoken of these killings. This is very serious."