Aid plea for war-displaced in Kabezi

Up to 25,000 civilians who were displaced following days of fighting between rebels and the Burundian army in the southeastern commune of Kabezi, Bujumbura Rural Province, need urgent relief aid, a local official told IRIN on Tuesday. "We are appealing humanitarian agencies to come to their rescue," Felicien Ntahombaye, the administrator of Kabezi Commune, said. He said the displaced had sought refuge at Kabezi Primary School, at the Kabezi Health Centre and at the Kabezi Market. "They fled violent fighting that took place on Wednesday and Friday on the hills of Masama, Gitenga and Kivomo," he said. "The children have begun to show signs of malnutrition, we also fear an outbreak of diarrhoea due to the poor hygiene conditions." The fighting was between the army and Forces nationales de liberation (FNL) rebels loyal to Agathon Rwasa. The faction remains the only rebel group in the country that has refused to sign a ceasefire agreement with the transitional government. Ntahombaye said that there were only small quantities of cassava and tomatoes at the market. "Food here is insufficient, some people have now resorted to fishing for Ndagala [small fish]," he said. The commune borders Lake Tanganyika. Ntahombaye said he had contacted army authorities to see if the displaced could helped to return to their homes. "On some hills the situation has returned to normal, the important thing to do now is to tell people to go back home to cultivate their fields as they wait for humanitarian assistance," he added.