BURUNDI - SECURITY.

TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS CONTINUE TO CAUSE DEATH AND DESPAIR IN BURUNDI EASTERN PROVINCES OF RUYIGI AND CANKUZO.

RUYIGI, JULY 26, 2000 (NET PRESS). SINCE LAST WEEK-END, SECURITY IS NOT THAT GOOD IN SOME COMMUNES OF THE PROVINCES OF CANKUZO AND RUYIGI BORDERING TANZANIA. ON SATURDAY NIGHT JULY 22 - SUNDAY JULY 23, 2000, THOUSANDS OF TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS BESIEGED THE HILLS OF GIKWIYA AND NYAMIYAGA, MURIZA ZONE, BUTAGANZWA COMMUNE, RUYIGI PROVINCE, WHERE THEY STOLE WHATSOEVER (FOOD, COOKING UTENSILS, MONEY, CLOTHES...) AND THEN MURDERED OVER 50 PERSONS, ALL HUTU, ACCUSED OF NOT ACCEPTING THE IDEOLOGY OF GENOCIDE, SURVIVORS REPORT.  SINCE LAST SUNDAY,  SURVIVORS OF THOSE MASSACRES HAVE BEEN FLEEING TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE COMMUNE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF SECURITY FORCES.

ON MONDAY MORNING, THOUSANDS OF TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK WITH MORTARS ON THE COMMUNE OF GISURU, PROVINCE OF RUYIGI, ESPECIALLY TARGETING THE BRIGADE AND THE MARKET PLACE AND THE DEATH TOLL IS 3 PERSONS AND SOME OTHER SLIGHTLY INJURED.  HOWEVER, THE PAFE (AIR, FRONTIER  AND FOREIGNERS' POLICE)  STATION WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED BY SHELLING, AS WELL AS A MODERN HOUSE OWNED BY  COMMUNE ACCOUNTANT.

ACCORDING TO LOCAL SOURCES, THE COMMUNES OF CENDAJURU AND GISAGARA, RUYIGI PROVINCE, WERE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED SINCE LAST WEEK-END BUT ACCORDING TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL FROM THE GOVERNOR'S CIRCLES, THE SITUATION WILL VERY SOON BECOME NORMAL BECAUSE  "MILITARY REINFORCEMENTS HAVE BEEN SENT OVER  AND IS ALREADY WORKING ON IT".

BURUNDI - CIVIL SOCIETY.

"PEACE IS NOT PACKAGE RESULT OF PERSONAL, FAMILY OR GROUP INTERESTS", SAYS THE 'CENTRE  JEUNES KAMENGE' .

BUJUMBURA, JULY 26, 2000 (NET PRESS). IN A MESSAGE SENT THIS MORNING BY YOUNGSTERS OF THE  "KAMENGE YOUTH CENTER" (CJK - CENTRE JEUNES KAMENGE) TO "POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, MILITARY FORCES AND TO DIFFERENT OPPOSITION CIRCLES", PEACE IS NOT THE RESULT OF SECTARIAN INTERESTS ("PERSONAL, FAMILY OR GROUP INTERESTS"), BUT THE "VICTORY FOR ALL BARUNDI PEOPLE".  IN THE OPINION OF THE CJK, PEACE IS A COMMODITY SOUGHT AFTER BY THOSE WHO LIVED FOR MANY YEARS UNDER CONDITIONS OF WAR, SUFFERINGS, DESPAIR AND WHO HAVE LOST EVERYTHING. THEY CALLED OUT TO POLITICIANS TO BE MORE REASONABLE, TO REMEMBER THAT ALL BARUNDI PEOPLE ARE IN NEED OF PEACE, AND TO PUT PERSONAL INTERESTS DOWN THE LIST. THEY FINALLY SAID : "YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP A COUNTRY AS A HOSTAGE FOR THE SAKE  OF YOUR INTERESTS... PLEASE, GIVE US THAT GREAT GIFT WHICH IS PEACE".

BURUNDI - JUSTICE.

THE CASE "LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ZACHARIE RWASA AND OTHERS" IS POSTPONED SINE DIE ...

BUJUMBURA, JULY 26, 2000 (NET PRESS). THIS MORNING, THE MILITARY COURT DID NOT GATHER TO EXAMINE AGAIN THE CASE OF "LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ZACHARIE RWASA AND OTHERS" BECAUSE THE PLAINTIFF AND ALSO (MAIN) WITNESS, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF BWAMBARANGWE COMMUNE, MR. ILDEPHONSE BARYANINTIMBA, DID NOT APPEAR IN THE COURTROOM. IT IS WORTHWHILE RECALLING THAT DURING THE LAST UNSUCCESSFUL HEARING WHICH TOOK PLACE ON 20 JULY, 2000, MR. ILDEPHONSE BARYANINTIMBA HAD HINTED THAT HE MIGHT BE UNAVAILABLE ON 26 JULY, 2000. ON 21 JULY, 2000 THE GOVERNOR OF KIRUNDO, MR.  PHILIPPE NJONI, WROTE A LETTER TO THE MILITARY COURT EXPLAINING THAT HIS COMMUNE ADMINISTRATOR'S  "OFTEN" COMING TO THE COURTROOM WAS CAUSING FATIGUE TO BWAMBARANGWE ADMINISTRATOR AND THAT THE LATTER WILL BE ATTENDING A SEMINAR THAT WOULD LAST TWO WEEKS. HOWEVER, THE SAID SEMINAR IS IN FACT A "ONE-DAY SEMINAR OF INFORMATION" (ON JULY, 24, 2000) DESIGNED FOR COMMUNE ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT THE "PROGRAMME OF PUBLIC WORKS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES" WHICH  IS A WORLD BANK SCHEME MONITORED BY THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS.

IN THE MIND OF THE RELATIVES OF THE (MAIN) DEFENDANT, NAMELY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL RWASA, THOSE ARE JUST "DILATORY MANEUVERS". THEY ARE CONCERNED OVER THE FACT THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW THE DATE ON WHICH THE NEXT HEARING WILL TAKE PLACE AS LONG AS AUGUST IS IN PRINCIPLE A MONTH DURING WHICH JUDICIARY HOLIDAYS  BEGIN.

BURUNDI - CIVIL SOCIETY.

"THE WOMEN'S MEETING OF ARUSHA HAD MAFIA TRENDS" SAYS A WOMAN WHO PARTICIPATED IN IT.

ARUSHA, JULY 26, 2000 (NET PRESS). ON JULY 16-21, 2000 THE ARUSHA CONFERENCE WAS ATTENDED BY BARUNDI WOMEN LIVING BOTH INSIDE BURUNDI AND OVERSEAS. ACCORDING TO ONE PARTICIPATING WOMAN CONTACTED BY "NET PRESS", THAT SESSION ALLOWED THEM TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS AND TO COME UP WITH  PROPOSALS OF SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY BARUNDI WOMEN. ABOUT 30 WOMEN WHO CAME FROM THEIR HOMELAND AND TWO DOZEN WOMEN FROM THE DIASPORA WERE ATTENDING THE MEETING. IN THE BEGINNING, THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH ITS OBJECTIVE, SINCE WOMEN-RELATED PROBLEMS WERE DISCUSSED. THE INTERLOCUTOR TOLD "NET PRESS" THAT  THE ARUSHA MEETING HAD EVEN ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS.

HOWEVER, THE LADY POINTED OUT THAT THOSE WOMEN DID NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT THE SCOPE OF WORK WAS NARROW. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE ISSUE OF GENOCIDE WAS NOT TACKLED BECAUSE THE ORGANIZERS OF THE CONFERENCE CONSIDERED IT TO BE A POLITICAL PROBLEM. THE OTHER SHORTCOMING OF THE CONFERENCE  IS THAT IT INVOLVED THOSE WOMEN IN AREAS WHICH THEY WERE NOT PREPARED TO, NAMELY THE ELECTION OF TWO WOMEN, AMONG WHOM MS. LAURENCE NDADAYE, WHO WILL REPRESENT OTHER BARUNDI WOMEN DURING THE SIGNING OF THE ARUSHA ACCORDS. THAT LADY TOLD ALSO "NET PRESS" THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THOSE WOMEN WHEN THEY WENT TO ARUSHA WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THAT ONE SINCE THEY HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN SUCH A MANDATE BY BARUNDI WOMEN.  SHE BELIEVED THAT THE ACCORDS  MUST BE SIGNED BY THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED THEM OUT,  AFTER THEY ARE ACCEPTED BY ALL BARUNDI PEOPLE.

THE OTHER SHORTCOMING IS THE BLACK-OUT WHICH WAS PREVAILING DURING THEIR PROCEEDINGS SINCE THE JOURNALISTS WERE KEPT AWAY FROM THE DISCUSSIONS.  ACCORDING TO HER, ONCE AN ACTION IS DONE IN CONNECTION WITH A PEACE PROCESS IN SUCH CONDITIONS, PEOPLE MAY WONDER IF SUCH INITIATIVES ARE NOT MAFIA-LIKE. FURTHERMORE "NET PRESS" SOURCE  POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS EVEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS, SINCE THOSE WHO ARE CLAIMING TO ASSIST BARUNDI PEOPLE TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS ARE SUBJECTIVE. THEY ARE SIDING WITH ONE PARTY DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS.  IN THIS REGARD, BARUNDI WOMEN HAVE DENOUNCED THAT ATTITUDE OF THE MEDIATION TEAM AND THEY DEMAND THAT THEY BE RESPECTED, BECAUSE AS THEY PUT IT, THEY SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS CHILDREN.

BURUNDI - CONFERENCE.

THE "COMPANY OF PEACE APOSTOLS" (CAP) TO ORGANIZE A CONFERENCE.

BUJUMBURA, JULY 26, 2000 (NET PRESS). ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZERS OF THE CONFERENCE, THE COMPANY OF PEACE APOSTOLS "CAP" ('COMPAGNIE DES APOTRES DE LA PAIX') WILL ORGANIZE THIS FRIDAY 28, 2000 AT 16 O'CLOCK AT NOVOTEL HOTEL A CONFERENCE WHOSE THEME IS "THE CURRENT PHASE OF ARUSHA INTER-BURUNDIAN NEGOTIATIONS". THE 2 SPEAKERS OF THE PANEL WILL BE FROM DIFFERENT POLITICAL GROUNDS.