Burundi's last remaining rebel group has killed 300 civilians in the past two months, a radio station said, a blow to otherwise good progress in the plan to end the central African nation's 12-year civil war. The Burundian army says the Hutu rebel group, Forces for National Liberation (FNL), has killed 100 civilians in the past month.
The Burundian station African Public Radio (RPA) quoted local officials and other sources for the toll of 300, and said three mass graves had been found in the western province of Bujumbura Rural, an FNL stronghold, and the north-western province of Bubanza.
The FNL said it had killed many people but most of them were its enemies. It also accused the army of killing many innocent civilians when carrying out raids against the rebels. "But there are also people who are sent by the army with a mission of eliminating our fighters by giving them poison," FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana told Reuters. "Those are our enemies. We kill them when we catch them."
Army spokesman Adolphe Manirakiza said the FNL had killed about 100 civilians over the past month.