The resumption in violence in the Burundian capital Bujumbura is causing panic in the country. Outside the capital, residents spend their nights in the bush for fear of being attacked as the death toll rises.
A bomb destroyed part of the Vatican embassy compound and a dining hall in the Kiriri University campus in the latter part of April.
“We call on the army to remove its heavy arms from our campus,” a student said, reacting to the installation of rocket launchers aimed at rebuffing attacks by the rebel FNL.
On April 18 attacks were launched on military positions in Gihosha, Kanyosha, Kamenge and Musaga areas. At Gihosha an MP’s residence was hit.
The spokesperson for the Burundi defence force, Lieutenant-Colonel Adolphe Manirakiza, condemned the FNL for having “violated the ceasefire accord” signed in 2006.
The FNL’s Pasteur Habimana has rejected the accusation, blaming the army for provoking its combatants.
The FNL called on Burundian troops “to return to their barracks”. The army, however, has rejected the call. “We cannot do this because we have to protect civilians from the movement’s attacks,” Manirakiza said.
Habimana called for help in mediation efforts and for the resumption of talks under the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM).
On April 21, the government spokesperson, Hafsa Mossi, urged the international community to impose sanctions on the FNL if it continued to violate the ceasefire accord. She said the FNL was not interested in the peace process.
The attacks follow months of interruption of the JVMM talks aimed at implementing the ceasefire accord.