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BURUNDI: Human rights worsened in 2008 - report

BUJUMBURA, 21 April 2009 (IRIN) - Delays in the implementation of a 2006 peace accord in Burundi contributed to a deteriorating human rights situation there in 2008, according to a leading human rights organisation.

"The misunderstanding between the government and the FNL [Forces nationales de liberation] has had serious consequences on the violations of human rights," David Nahimana, chairman of Iteka, the national human rights group, said.

Iteka's annual report said that because of the delays, FNL fighters - who are only now beginning to disarm and demobilise - continued to fight, loot and recruit in 2008, notably in the provinces of Bubanza, Bujumbura Rural, Kayanza and Cibitoke where they targeted local administration officials. Government forces carried out reprisals against civilians suspected of supporting the FNL, the report said.

According to Nahima, the prevalence of illicit arms among civilians in Burundi also contributed to the increase in human rights abuses.

According to Iteka, there were 616 killings in Burundi in 2008. Of these 65 were allegedly at the hands of FNL combatants, 54 were reportedly killed by the army and 41 by the police. Unidentified persons killed 116 people, while 307 were killed in acts of armed banditry and 33 were killed by civilians.

Joseph Mujiji, a member of the Iteka executive committee, said: "Data on human rights violations are collected by our members throughout the country. We also gather information through our partners like NGOs, government structures like hospitals, health centres and the Ministry for Human Rights."

He said Iteka considered killings by armed bandits and unidentified persons as human rights violations based on Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Criminals in military uniforms”

Army spokesman Lt-Col Adolphe Manirakiza rejected Iteka's allegations saying "the army does not kill civilians".

"We do not know how the group makes the report since it has never informed us of the killings," Manirakiza said. "Those who give reports to Iteka have perhaps seen criminals in military uniforms and mistaken them for soldiers but we know many criminals disguise themselves by wearing police or military uniforms."

Pasteur Habimana, the FNL spokesman, declined to comment.

An increase of sexual violence was also an indication of the poor human rights record in the country; a phenomenon Nahimana said had reached alarming proportions.

Nahimana said impunity of the perpetrators, lack of support for rape survivors and the settling of cases with the complicity of local administrations, had contributed to the increase in sexual and domestic violence.

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