11 January 2008
Bujumbura — The police have transferred fifteen persons who were arrested in connection with the murder of the French aid worker, the late Ms Agnès Bury, from the prisons of Ruyigi to Gitega.
Among these prisoners were 9 persons who were in the prison of Ruyigi and 6 persons who were held in custody in the prison of the Interior Security Police of Ruyigi. A person who was in the same vehicle with Agnès Bury at time of the attack is also part of those who were transferred to Gitega prison.
The late Agnès Bury was a French citizen working for the nongovernmental organisation, Action Contre la Faim. She was killed on 31 December 2007 in Sanzu quarter of Ruyigi province. A cordon-search operation that was carried out by security forces in the same quarter on 4 January 2008 led to the seizure of 10 guns and 20 hand grenades. This cordon-search operation has, however, created ethnic suspicion in this province which the governor downplays. The inhabitants of Sanzu were not satisfied with this cordon-search operation which was carried out in only one quarter. Among those who were transferred to Gitega today were those who were caught in possession of the seized weapons.
Those who were arrested in connection with this murder should have been transferred to Gitega on 8 January 2008, but the prisoners resisted, explaining that the government might have planned the like of what took place Muyinga where about 36 persons were killed in circumstances that have not been made The prisoners eventually gave way and were transferred to Gitega today under high security. The families of the arrested ones were not allowed to approach them when they departed.
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