Armed groups in Burundi: this is what we heard this February
The briefing, Issue #49, February 28, 2020
Dear RegionWeek Reader,
On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, Burundi local media reported about clashes between the security forces and an armed group that appeared at Kirombwe hill in the Muyira area in Kanyosha commune, Bujumbura province.
According to Bujumbura Police Commissioner Déo Bigirimana, the group consisted of 30 men with 14 guns.
“The armed group came from the Democratic Republic of Congo in two parts. Twelve entered through the Rukoko nature reserve, twelve others via Rumonge. Those who arrived via Rumonge only 10 reached Nkona hill in Isare commune. The twelve who had passed through Rukoko are said to have met another group of eight other men near Gihanga commune in Bubanza province. They joined others in Nkona to make a group of 30 men.” He added
At Nkona hill, according to Commissioner Deo Bigirimana, the group received 8 guns from a Pastor, they had already 6 guns bought in the Congo. Mr. Bigirimana confirmed to Iwacu reporters that on the 14 guns, 12 were seized were by the police, and traffickers were arrested.
By Sunday, February 23, according to a police report, at least 22 "armed criminals" and two police officers were killed.
“An armed group that appeared on February 19 on the hills of Bujumbura-rural was dismantled on Sunday "with a toll of 22 armed criminals (…) and two policemen killed, and six criminals arrested," - Said Pierre Nkurikiye, the police spokesman.
Nkurikiye said that the group "took advantage of the electoral period" to cause trouble in the country, which is scheduled to hold a presidential election in May.
A teacher who led the group was among those killed in the week-long operation in the districts of Isale and Nyabiraba, he added.
The appearance of the armed group sparked a wave of arrests
On February 19, 2020, audio recordings of a rebel raid in Bujumbura province were released on social media. Several arrests were made by the police and the intelligence services.
Didace Nzambimana, representative of the opposition party the National Freedom Council (CNL) in Muyira regretted that many CNL members were arrested in their homes after the attacks by unidentified people.
He, however, appreciated that some of these members were released and promised to join the security committee in order to contribute to strengthening peace and security.
"We denounce this harassment orchestrated by the government ahead of the May 2020 elections," party spokesman Therence Manirambona said on Saturday, February 23, the National Freedom Council (CNL), said it saw a link between the incident and the May 20 vote.
Reacting to the security situation, Agathon Rwasa, president of the CNL, told Iwacu reporters that the situation is not alarming— but one can be worried by the actions of certain groups of people that say they want to fight militarily.
"What is unfortunate is that there are some officials who want to attribute this barbarity to the CNL party. We reaffirm once again that the CNL is a political party. We have nothing to do with everything related to violence. " He added
Human rights
The radical opposition in exile last week accused the police and the Imbonerakure, members of the youth league of the ruling party, of having executed certain members of the armed group.
Since Monday, several photos have been circulating on social media showing half-naked men being beaten.
According to testimony collected by radical opposition’s owned news website SOS Media Burundi, they were taken in the locality of Mugoti in the commune of Nyabiraba last Sunday. We saw individuals presented by residents as young Imbonerakure (some in t-shirts of the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD) beating or trying to strangle the people arrested.
“Increasingly accurate reports have been surrounding the arming of Imbonerakure militiamen and the serious human rights abuses they have committed over the past several years. Whenever armed attacks are mentioned, militiamen are cited in cases of extrajudicial executions. What is happening in rural Bujumbura is indisputable proof of this information” commented Pacifique Nininahazwe, Radical Opposition personality in exile
Since 2015, several armed groups that tried to invade Burundi have been dismantled and their members killed during various attacks. On the other side, the radical opposition denounces the extra-judicial killings happening around the attacks.
This leaves a huge space for analysts and the commentators who question, methods used by security forces in defending the country and on the other hand how Non-State Armed Groups attack Burundi comply with International Human Rights Law Obligations, especially when “Burundi Human Right defenders” never denounce their acts of violence.
That’s all for today (last briefing of February)
Have a nice weekend!
Fabrice Iranzi,
Founding Editor, RegionWeek.com
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