- As the Burundian capital Bujumbura has been under heavy rebel attack for one week, Anglican Christians have done their best in aiding civilians. Now they urge the world to join them praying for peace, as the situation in the city is getting calmer.
Bujumbura was subject to sustained attacks by rebels from the National Liberation Forces (FNL) from Monday 7 July until Saturday 13 July. Today, the UN reported "relative calm" in Bujumbura as civilians who have fled the city over the past week amid fierce fighting between government forces and rebels began to return to their homes.
Last week's attacks by the Hutu rebel group had 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.
An official Anglican source in Bujumbura said that "the FNL are driven by a Protestant Christian ideology claiming that the Hutus have a divine right over the country. For them the only viable negotiating partners are the Tutsi commanders of the Army and the Tutsi politicians."
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, according to a statement by the Anglican Communion.
During the attacks, the Anglican Community Centre had given 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," the Church says.
Bujumbura diocese had been 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 today asked its followers worldwide for their prayers, especially that the President, government and Senate "will have great wisdom as they respond to the situation." A representative of the diocese said: "Pray for our continued safety. I have found Psalm 91 and 46 a great encouragement. Today we shared Psalm 116 as our thanksgiving to God."
Background
A flawed and faltering peace process led to the signing of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Burundi (Peace Agreement) in August 2000. Not least in its weaknesses was the exclusion of the two main active armed political groups, the CNDD-FDD and PALIPEHUTU-FNL.
In mid-2002, ceasefire agreements were signed between the government of Burundi and minor non active opposition forces followed by a ceasefire agreement with the CNDD-FDD (Nkurunziza) in December. However conflict and resultant human rights abuses have dramatically increased countrywide. Negotiations on outstanding issues are blocked, although the reasons for the blockage are disputed.
On 6 July 2003, the FNL, which is yet to enter into negotiations, attacked and occupied southern districts of Bujumbura. Since then, fighting has raged within the capital. Several districts have been shelled by the FNL and government helicopters have also bombed areas in and around the capital.
Although the capital is apparently calmer today, and the FNL may have been forced back out of the city, the situation remains critical. The main active armed political group, the CNDD-FDD (Nkurunziza), has denied being directly involved in the onslaught on the capital although in a public statement on 9 July it threatened to join the attack if the government continued shelling districts within and around the capital.
The CNDD-FDD (Nkurunziza) remains active elsewhere, and continues to be responsible for killings of civilians, looting, rape and hostage taking.
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