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Top Burundi rebels shot dead
14/10/2007 20:02 - (SA)
Bujumbura - The police and army said on Sunday that unidentified gunmen shot dead three top members of Burundi's last active rebel group and injured a fourth outside a restaurant in central Bujumbura.
A police officer said: "Last night (on Saturday), three chiefs from the dissident FNL were killed and a fourth hurt in an attack with automatic weapons in front of a bar-restaurant."
Army spokesperson Adolphe Manirakiza confirmed the shooting.
"The injured person is battalion commander Nestor Banzubaze, known as Banes and one of those killed is battalion commander Elie Nsengiyumva."
"The two others killed have not been identified," Manirakiza said.
Growing internal conflict
He said that the killings came amid growing internal conflict within the National Liberation Forces (FNL) between those who want to continue fighting and those who want to stop.
"The FNL is being hit by serious internal disputes as we are receiving every day at least 10 deserters giving themselves up ... because they want peace," he said.
Talks to implement a ceasefire signed last year between the rebels and the government have hit a snag.
The small central African nation of 7.1 million people is struggling to recover from a civil war sparked by the 1993 assassination of the country's first Hutu president in a failed coup led by Tutsi army officers.
About 300 000 people were killed in the war.
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