BURUNDI‘‘Deep Concern’’ over Killings

Western diplomats want action onthe political unrest and violence. Theopposition ADC alliance warns ofchaos and anarchy.

Western ambassadors in Burundi are‘‘deeply concerned’’ by dozens of kill-ings and torture cases over the lastyear, according to an official letter.

‘‘We… wish to express our deep con-cern regarding cases of extrajudicialkillings and alleged torture since the2010 election period,’’ wrote the diplo-mats in a note addressed to the head ofthe Burundi diplomatic service.

The letter was signed by EU ambassa-dors of those countries represented inBurundi (Germany, Belgium, France,the Netherlands and Britain) and alsothe US, the Vatican, Switzerland andNorway.

‘‘The United Nations has received seri-ous and detailed information about atleast 20 cases of extrajudicial killings aswell as several dozen cases of torturereportedly committed by security offi-cials between June 2010 and March2011,’’ the diplomats said. ‘‘The situa-tion is of concern particularly as severalEU member states are engaged in acooperative partnership with the policeand army,’’ they said, referring to Bel-gium, France and the Netherlands.

The ambassadors said they hoped thegovernment and judicial bodies would

do everything in their power to put anend to the ‘‘intolerable practice’’ andprosecute those suspected of commit-ting the crimes.

It was hoped the 2010 election wouldhelp Burundi turn the page after abloody civil war between 1993 and2006, but continuing political unresthas seen regular reprisal killings of rul-ing party members and oppositionparty activists.

Two ruling party militants were killedby armed men on the night of May30th in Bujumbura Rural province, oneof the worst-affected areas. The govern-ment rejected calls for talks by theopposition coalition, the DemocraticAlliance for Change (ADC).

‘‘There will be no talks until such timeas someone comes forward and says, ‘‘Iam behind the acts of banditry that weare seeing here there and everywhere’’,’’government spokesman Philippe Nzobo-nariba said on May 31st.

In an earlier incident, dozens of armedmen opened fire on a restaurant outsideBujumbura, killing four people, wit-nesses and a local official said on May29th. Local administration official Ab-dul Bampoye blamed the attack on‘‘armed bandits’’ but witnesses said theattackers were part of a new rebelmovement.

‘‘They fired on a restaurant, killed fourpeople and wounded three others, ofwhich two are serious,’’ Bampoye toldAFP.

Several witnesses said the small bar-res-taurant targeted in the attack is besidethe local office of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, and was packed with partymembers who were watching theChampions League Final on television.Residents told AFP the attack was car-ried out by heavily armed men in mili-tary and police uniforms and lastedmore than an hour. (�AFP, Bujumbura29 ⁄ 5, 3 ⁄ 6 2011)

The East African reported that the sim-mering political tension in Burundicould get out of hand if the East Afri-can Community (EAC) does not actfast. It said the ‘‘hard-line’’ oppositionADC has warned it would initiatearmed uprising, chaos and anarchy ifthe government of Pierre Nkurunzinzadoesn’t agree to immediate roundtabletalks.

Leonce Ngendakumana, the leader ofthe ADC coalition and the FRODEBUparty, is also emphatic that those whowent into exile after the elections mustbe allowed to return home and thatabout 500 political prisoners must bereleased. It is in the interest of otherEAC members to help the landlockedBurundi maintain stability. As it is, the

signs of instability are now obvious andit would be a major blow to ongoingefforts towards regional integration ifBurundi relapses to civil war and desta-bilises the region, says The East Afri-can. (The East African, Nairobi 5 ⁄ 6)

Meanwhile, the head of the Dutch dip-lomatic mission in Burundi was in mid-June planning a field trip for a firsthand assessment of the state of insecu-rity amid claims the violence had, sinceearly May, claimed 85 lives, includingchildren. Because of the lack of officialinformation on the actual extent andcause of the killings reported by mediaand NGOs, Cees Roels, intended tovisit Bujumbura Rural Province to seefor himself.

As the main donor of programmes forthe professionalization of the Burun-dian army and police, the Dutch gov-ernment considers itself in a position topush for reforms. The Hague has com-mitted to contribute to a completesecurity sector reform in Burundi overa period of eight years. (�Radio Neth-erlands Worldwide 17 ⁄ 6) Extra-judicialkillings p. 18850

CENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLICInter-community Clashes

Ethnic enmity and post-election dis-illusionment help stoke Bangui vio-lence in which 11 die and mosquesare torched.

Two children whose deaths led to anexplosion of violence that killed 11 peo-ple were buried on June 9th as theirfamily turned down an official cere-mony. The children, aged around fourand five, were found on May 31st inthe boot of a car belonging to a manfrom the Muslim minority, unleashingdays of violence in parts of the capital,Bangui, which also saw mosquestorched.

The dead included eight Chadians, theChadian and CAR Defence Ministers,Bichara Issa Djadala and Jean-FrancisBozize said on June 3rd when theyagreed to speed up investigations inorder to defuse tensions and to ‘‘freeinnocent people jailed following theunrest and to compensate victims ofviolence,’’ the statement said.

A Chadian defence ministry official toldAFP that some 20 Chadians wereinjured. ‘‘The majority of their houseswere pillaged or torched. Others fledtheir homes to seek refuge at theembassy,’’ the official said.

Central African Republic has an 80%Christian population, according to

Africa: Failed States 2011

African nations dominated the top eche-lons of the most failed states in theworld, according to the 2011 edition ofthe Failed States Index compiled annu-ally by the Washington-based NGO,Fund for Peace.

In the latest edition, which is the seventhin the series, African states make upseven of the top 10 places, and 14 of thetop 20 places of the most failed states.

In the top 10 are Somalia (1), Chad (2),Sudan (3), DR Congo (4), Zimbabwe (6),Central African Republic (8) and Coted’Ivoire (10). Nigeria (14), Niger (15),Kenya (16), Burundi (17), Guinea Bissau(19) and Ethiopia (20) round off the top20 African states on the list.

Mauritius is the most highly rated (leastfailed state) in Africa, at 150th.

According to the Fund for Peace, on itsofficial website, the criteria used includemounting demographic pressures, massmovement of refugees or Internally-dis-placed Persons (IDPs), vengeance-seekinggroup grievance, chronic and sustainedhuman flight as well as uneven economicdevelopment. (PANA 22 ⁄ 6)

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official figures, while 10% are Muslims.A sizeable immigrant community fromneighbouring Chad is mainly Muslim.(�AFP, Bangui 3, 9 ⁄ 6 2011)

The authorities on June 6th lifted thecurfew imposed in some areas of Banguifollowing the clashes, said Misna (Mis-sionary Service News Agency). ‘‘Seeingthese clashes in a religious key is incor-rect. The inter-community tension rootsfrom far away and has a political originthat no one wants to see’’, a missionarysource who requested anonymity toldMisna. The nation’s top religious lead-ers, the apostolic administrator of thearchdiocese Monsignor DieudonneZapalainga, the secretary general of theMuslim community Imam Yusuf Alb-delmadi and Reverend Franco Mbai,secretary general of the Evangelical Alli-ance, called on their respective commu-nities to not resort to violence andcontinue living together in harmony.

The governments of Chad and CARannounced the creation of a joint secu-rity commission to monitor the peace-ful coexistence between the twocommunities.

The two children’s organs were appar-ently used in rituals. Misna commented:‘‘A dramatic and isolated case thathowever reignited old disputes, eventied to discontent and opposition to thecurrent administration.’’ (Misna newsagency website, Rome 6 ⁄ 6)

The three days of clashes show thegrowing fragility of the regime of Presi-dent Francois Bozize, said Africa Confi-dential. His security forces killed atleast twelve people and wounded adozen others as mayhem broke out.This will only strengthen opposition.

Africa Confidential said that whenrumours spread about foreigners usingsorcery, rioters set fire to mosques andlooted shops, venting their anger onpopular local targets – Nigerians, Chad-

ian traders and Muslims. It said thepoor of Bangui sometimes resent Mus-lims, who are more numerous amongtraders and shopkeepers, because theyseem better off and often do not speakSango, the main language of most ofCAR. Muslims generally hail from theisolated north and north-eastern parts.

This notion is exacerbated by a popularview that the government of Chad is themain prop of President Bozize who,although elected in January 2011, isunpopular in many quarters and whoseelection was widely believed to be unfair.Chadian mercenaries were critical to hisseizure of power in March 2003 andsome remain in the Presidential Guard.Popular resentment grows when, as fre-quently occurs in Bangui, Chadian trad-ers involved in disputes with localpeople benefit from the support of theirarmed countrymen in uniform.

To many, the recent unrest was longexpected, as the ethnic enmity mergedwith a post-election let-down. Many ofthe poor expected change, only to findpolitical power monopolised by Bo-zize’s relatives, their wives and mis-tresses, while the daily grind of povertytakes its toll. This view was on show,peacefully, at the funeral on May 21stof the former President, Ange-Felix Pa-tasse, when mourners abused and heck-led Bozize several times. Yet in earlyJune, his enemies felt no need to exer-cise the restraint they showed at thecemetery. (Africa Confidential 10 ⁄ 6)

CPJP Signs Ceasefire Deal.

The Central African Republic on June12th signed a ceasefire agreement withthe last big active rebel group, the Con-vention of Patriots for Justice andPeace (CPJP). The group has foughtthe government of President FrancoisBozize, who seized power in a 2003 mil-itary coup and has since been re-elected.

‘‘This ceasefire agreement means stepsare undoubtedly being taken towardslong-lasting peace,’’ said Minister ofTerritorial Administration Josue Binou,who was present at the signing thattook place at the defence ministry.

The eight-point ceasefire agreement wassigned by junior Disarmament MinisterGeneral Xavier-Sylvestre Yangongo andthe rebels’ political advisor MahamatZakaria on behalf of CPJP leader Ab-doulaye Hissene.

‘‘The CPJP commits itself to lay downarms,’’ said Zakaria, dismissingrumours of internal discord saying:‘‘Those trying to give a different storyare not doing so in CPJP’s name.’’

Negotiations had taken place in thenorthern town of Ndele, where the

CPJP agreed to enter the disarmament,demobilisation and social reintegration(DDR) campaign organised by Banguiand already signed by several otherrebel groups.The deal called for ‘‘thecessation of all hostilities, the absten-tion from any military acts and otherforms of violence’’ and the barrackingof CPJP forces until disarmament isunder way.

The rebels announced in late April (p.18850) they were ready to stop fightingand engage in talks with the govern-ment ‘‘in order to end the suffering ofthe civilian population.’’

The CPJP in November 2010 seized themain city of Birao in the north, killingsix people and taking ten soldiers pris-oner. The government was forced toask Chad to retake the city a monthlater in violent clashes that claimed 65rebel lives.

Noel Sandjima, a member of Bozize’sNational Convergence ‘‘Kwa na Kwa’’party in CPJP stronghold Ndele, saidthe agreement was ‘‘a strong signal fora definite return to calm. The popula-tion can now go about their busi-nesses.’’

However, some observers remainedwary. A foreign observer said on condi-tion of anonymity that peace in thecountry ‘‘was far from being won,’’saying the military does not controleven a third of the territory and thepresence of Uganda’s brutal Lord’sResistance Army (LRA) rebel group isa threat to security. (�AFP, Bangui 12 ⁄ 62011)

Made up of representatives of variousethnicities, the CPJP has accused Ban-gui of exploiting the people of theGoula ethnic group in order to perpe-trate violence at the expense of theRounga people, in exchange for prom-ises of access to natural resources, espe-cially an oil deposit in the northernarea of Birao. (Misna news agency website,Rome 13 ⁄ 6)

Journalist Detained: Faustin Bambou,editor of the privately owned daily LesCollines de l’Oubangui, published inBangui, was transferred to the Ngar-agba prison on the orders of the stateprosecutor on June 6th. He had alreadyspent 10 days in detention at theResearch and Investigation Division(for ‘‘inciting violence and hatred’’.

According to Journalistes en Danger’ssources, Bambou published a series ofarticles incriminating Defence MinisterFrancis Bozize in a case of embezzle-ment and diversion of European Union(EU) funds intended to compensateretired soldiers and police officers.(JED, 10 ⁄ 6) CPJP ceasefire offer p. 18850

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