Burundi rebels kill three civilians in bus ambush
BUJUMBURA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Burundian rebels killed three civilians and
injured three others when they ambushed four buses travelling north of the
capital Bujumbura, witnesses said on Sunday.
"Four buses were attacked on Saturday afternoon. The rebels killed three
people," said the driver of one of the buses which was attacked at Kaburantwa
in Cibitoke province, 45 miles northwest of Bujumbura.
Witnesses blamed ethnic Hutu rebels from the Forces of National Liberation
(FNL) for the attacks. The FNL denied the accusation.
Fighting has continued in Burundi despite a ceasefire signed between the
government of President Pierre Buyoya and one of the main rebel groups -- the
Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) -- on December 3.
The deal followed months of mediation efforts by African leaders, but was
rejected by the FNL which dismissed threats of sanctions and said it would
continue to defend itself.
Hutu rebels have been fighting the Tutsi-dominated army in Burundi since 1993
in a war which has killed an estimated 300,000 people, mostly civilians.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes.
The army and rebels regularly trade blame over attacks. The FNL has been
blamed for recent attacks which authorities say have left 17 people dead
since the signing of the ceasefire.
But FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana denied his group was involved.
"Every crime which is committed today is blamed on the FNL because we refused
to engage in those useless talks," Habimana said. He said most of the latest
attacks were committed by dissident rebels who left the FNL in 1998.
12/15/02 07:27 ET
