The president of Burundi has ordered private radio stations not to broadcast statements by opposition rebel groups, media reports said on Thursday.
President Pierre Buyoya issued the ban during a meeting on Tuesday with editors of the country’s private radio stations, according to reports from a variety of media. Radio Publique Africaine, based in the capital Bujumbura, and the British Broadcasting Corporation said the ban extends to comments from the Forces for Defence of Democracy (FDD) and the Forces of National Liberation (FNL) rebel groups.
The FNL has not signed a ceasefire agreement with the government and the FDD has been criticised by Buyoya for not observing it. Burundi has been wracked for a decade by a power-struggle between ethnic Hutu rebel groups and the government, dominated by the minority ethnic Tutsis, since an elected Hutu president was
overthrown and assassinated in a military coup. More than 200 000 people, mainly civilians, are believed to have died in the conflict.
Buyoya is scheduled to hand over the reins of government on May 1 to a Hutu president under the terms of a power-sharing deal forged by former South African president Nelson Mandela. However he has told parliament he may hold on to power if peace is not prevailing. – Sapa-DPA