Military

DATE=JULY 9, 2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT ( L ONLY )

TITLE=BURUNDI FIGHTING

NUMBER=2-305252

BYLINE=JOSIAH OBAT

DATELINE= NAIROBI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: As fighting between government and rebel forces continues in and around the Burundi capital Bujumbura, the governments says it has pushed the rebels away from the capital. But As Josiah Obat reports from Nairobi the rebels say they are still in the city and will continue to fight.

TEXT: The chief of Burundi's cabinet Bonaventure Gashikanyi told VOA government troops were using helicopter gun ships to push back the rebels into the hills overlooking Bujumbura.

///Act Gashikanyi///

The situation is still now tense because there is some shelling from helicopters and the rebels are still fighting up hill but for the moment the rebels have gone a bit backwards towards the hill.

///End Act///

Mr. Gashikanyi said the rebels lobbed about ten rocket-propelled grenades into parts of the capital on Wednesday. He said casualty figures were not known, but other sources say 13 more people were killed Wednesday, bringing the total death toll in three days of fighting to about 43.

The fighting which broke out Monday pits the government troops against the National Liberation Forces, a rebel group that refused to sign a peace agreement reached between the government and its opponents last October.

But Mr. Gashikanyi says the Forces for the Defense of Democracy, the FDD, which signed the accord is also involved in the fighting.

///Second Gashikanyi Act///

We are convinced that they are doing this action together with F-D-D. F-D-D has already signed the cease fire but it looks like they really don't want to implement this accord.

///End Act///

A spokesman for the National Liberation Forces, Pasteur Hakimana, denies his group is being helped by the F-D-D.

///Act Hakimana in Swahili estaband Fade ///

Mr. Hakimana says the two groups are not working together, and he says his fighters have not been pushed out of Bujumbura. The rebel spokesman says the fighting will continue.

Last October's peace accord ended most of the fighting in Burundi, and made it possible for a transitional administration to take power from former president Pierre Buyoya. But the National Liberation Forces refused to accept the peace deal and have continued to wage war. (Signed)

NEB/OBAT/AWP/FC