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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 14 April 2006

BURUNDI: Demobilisation camp for FNL rebels opened

BUJUMBURA, 14 Apr 2006 (IRIN) - A demobilisation camp that is scheduled to host combatants of Burundi's remaining rebel group, the Forces nationales de liberation (FNL) has been opened in the northwestern province of Bubanza, a stronghold of the rebel group.

The decision to open the camp, to be manned by the Burundi National Defence Force, was made at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

At the same time, preparations are on going for FNL-government negotiations, a communiqué issued after the cabinet meeting said. The government has sent a team to Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania, where the talks are set to be held.

The emissaries have been sent to hold separate discussions with two factions of the FNL - one led by Agathon Rwasa and the other by Jean-Bosco Sindayigaya. Rwasa recently offered to hold unconditional peace talks with the government.

Following Rwasa's offer, security has improved in parts of the country where the rebel group is active. Subsequently, the government has lifted a 12-6 am countrywide curfew it had imposed. "The government continues to implement its plan of combating any form of insecurity disturbing order and tranquillity of the citizens," the communiqué said.

Bubanza Governor Pascal Nyabenda confirmed that security had improved in the province. "Local residents have helped the administration and security forces to track down FNL combatants and other people involved in subversive activities," he said.

However, the government urged the public to remain vigilant, as the FNL was still active in parts of the country. An FNL combatant, Emmanuel Harumukama, was captured Thursday at Matara in Bujumbura Rural Province. "I entered Burundi from Musigati [Commune] while coming from Kamanyola in the Democratic Republic Congo," he said on national television.

Nyabenda said FNL combatants operate from Kibira Forest, notably in Musigati and in Rukoko Park in Gihanga commune. He said eight other armed FNL combatants were captured in recent weeks at Mpanda. Nyabenda said the public had helped in the capture of the FNL combatants.

[ENDS]

This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but May not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006