Burundi battle kills 13 in blow to election hopes
BUJUMBURA, March 18 (Reuters) - Burundi's army and Hutu rebels clashed heavily for a second day on Thursday in fighting that has so far killed 13 people and left hundreds homeless, the military and local officials said.
The fighting, the latest in a spate of clashes following the rebels' rejection of an offer to join the government in January, deals a blow to hopes that the country can hold elections promised by the end of the year.
The army said it launched a major offensive using heavy artillery against the Forces for National Liberation (FNL) rebels on Wednesday west of the capital Bujumbura and at least 10 rebels and three civilians were killed.
"The army launched an operation against the FNL in Kabezi commune, we used mortars during the operation and killed 10 FNL rebels," said army spokesman Adolphe Manirakiza.
Local officials said the fighting was still raging on Thursday morning and had forced hundreds of people to flee their homes. The administrator of Kabezi commune, Felicien Ntahombaye said one motor shell landed in his house, killing three people.
"The situation is grave, the area is still not accessible, people have fled Kabezi, it is empty," he said.
The army spokesman said four government soldiers were seriously wounded during the clash, adding the attack on the administrator's house was carried out by rebels.
A spokesman for the FNL said the rebel group lost only two fighters and most of the dead were civilians.
"They shelled the civil population believing that they were shelling FNL positions," FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana said.
The FNL is the only Hutu rebel group which is still fighting the Tutsi-dominated government, often attacking troops in its stronghold close to the capital.
Under a 2000 peace accord Burundi is supposed to hold elections by the end of this year.
Hopes for the polls had risen sharply when the main Hutu rebel group, the Forces for the Defence of Democracy, agreed to stop fighting and joined the coalition government.
Rebels from the Hutu majority have fought a decade-long civil war that has killed 300,000 people to end the traditional and military dominance of the minority Tutsi community.
03/18/04 07:40 ET
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