Anglican Communion News Service

by Matthew Davies and Anglican sources in Burundi

Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, was subject to sustained attacks from the National Liberation Forces (FNL) from Mon 7 July until Saturday 13 July. The attacks by the Hutu rebel group aimed to terrorise the city with automatic weapons and grenades and a spokesman for the FNL is quoted as saying, "We are coming to Bujumbura and we are going to stay there until our Tutsi brothers agree to negotiate directly with us". The Army responded with the use of armoured vehicles, heavy machine guns and helicopters that dropped bombs over the hillsides.

It is claimed by the FNL, who are driven by a Protestant Christian ideology, that the Hutus have a divine right over the country and that for them the only viable negotiating partners are the Tutsi commanders of the Army and the Tutsi politicians.

According to an official Anglican source in Burundi, the main roads into the city were closed with checkpoints monitoring access from outlying quarters. Specific places were targeted for attack but there was also indiscriminate fire and consequently civilians were caught in the crossfire.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Friday that "the fighting between the army and the FNL rebels, mainly in the city's southern suburbs, had led to the displacement of at least 15,000 people from Kanyosha, Musaga and Kinindo communes."

One group of rebels spent a night in the Anglican Church in Kinindo and another in the Church in Musaga, the latter of which was damaged by gunfire.

The Anglican Community Centre gave refuge to 6 families - mostly women and children - and seven families from the diocesan office were directly affected because they live in Musaga, one of the worst affected areas. All are safe and have returned home.

Bujumbura diocese was able to distribute 1100 French sticks (loaves) to displaced people in four locations. Parts of town were periodically without electricity and water but both are now re-connected.

As the fighting drew to a close the rebels, who had been shelling the city for about a week, released 39 hostages they had held captive.

The Episcopal Church in Burundi ask for your prayers, especially that the President, Government and Senate will have great wisdom as they respond to the situation. A representative of the province said, "Pray for our continued safety. I have found Psalm 91 and 46 a great encouragement. Today we shared Ps. 116 as our thanksgiving to God."