Burundi's army in 'crisis'

2010-03-24 12:54

Bujumbura - Burundi's army is in a state of crisis that could "plunge the country into the abyss" two months ahead of a marathon round of elections, the country's defense minister has warned.

"Something unusual is happening. Since I started my career in the army 34 years ago we have never had a crisis that lasted as long as this one, even as the country is going through a crucially-important period," General Germain Niyoyankana said late on Tuesday.

"If this crisis lasts it could plunge the country into the abyss," Niyoyankana told journalists.

The minister was speaking on the day of the start of the court martial in Bujumbura of 18 soldiers arrested in January and charged with "military plotting" and "destabilising the country's institutions".

The trial comes in a context of persistent unease in the ranks of the army and the police.

Since December 2009, at least six junior officers have been arrested and eight other soldiers dismissed from the army, suspected of being behind tracts calling on soldiers to revolt.

In February a soldier was killed in a shoot-out in a military camp in Bujumbura.

Source of insecurity

In late November tracts distributed in several provinces by junior officers, soldiers and policemen accused their superiors of favoritism towards the officer class, siphoning off part of their salary and of expelling soldiers' widows from military camps.

The defense minister called on "all Burundi's political parties, the ruling party and those who support the opposition to show a sense of responsibility".

"For the past several months we've been seeing clashes between youth groups affiliated to these parties. It should stop," the general said.

"Burundi has crucial elections coming up ... I'm sounding the alarm bell because ... this youth group agitation can be a source of insecurity that can have long-term consequences no one can control," he warned.

- AFP