30 January 2008
Bujumbura — The defence minister, Lt. General Germain Niyoyankana, rejected all allegations against him levelled by Col. Vital Bangirinama in a memorandum he circulated before he fled the country. In the army, orders are not swallowed. After each order, there is room for questions," Lt Gnl Niyoyankana said in a press conference that he held today to express his view after the flight of Col. Vital Bangirinama. He also mentioned that such orders are in a written form. Bangirimana's memorandum dated 26 December 2007 accuses that the defence minister of giving him orders to kill about 31 FNL suspects at Muyinga. In that memorandum, Col. Bangirinama confesses to have executed them. Col. Vital Bangirinama also reveals that he informed his superior echelons before the extrajudicial executions and the endorsed the decision.
The defence minister also acknowledged that Col Bangirimana only implicated former Burundian Armed Forces indicating that if he sought to create the divisions within the army is a double crime." The defence minister says that Col Vital Bangirinama has already thrown an already ignited bomb which can only be deactivated by his arrest."
According to Col. Vital Bangirinama Lt. General Niyoyankana called him via a land line asking him the security situation in his region. Col. Bangirinama informed him that they were about to transfer FNL suspects to Randa. Lt. Gnl Germain Niyoyankana than told â-š... do not waste your time. Execute them there quickly before it is known. Even those that we have at Randa are causing us some problems, and you want to make the situation worse?"
The ruling party has always tried to conceal this affair that continues to shake the government. Burundians still remember the words of the former governor of Muyinga, Mohamed Feruzi, who, asked about the victims, said that â-šall bodies of dead men look alike." The case of Muyinga, however, continues to haunt and to stain the high spheres of the CNDD-FDD led government. In a new startling development, Col. Bangirinama asserts to have met president Nkurunziza. He has already disclosed that he met twice President Nkurunziza who offered to protect him. President Nkurunziza denied interfering in the case of Muyinga during his last phone-in conference.
The army recently revealed its plan to ask for assistance from the Interpol in order to catch this senior army officer who fled to Tanzania on 15 January 2008. The police also mentioned that they will request the help of the East-African police forces, whose chiefs are currently attending a meeting in Bujumbura. Col. Bangirinama spent a year or so in Burundi without being bothered by the courts despite allegations that he played a major role in the arrest and deaths of 31 suspected FNL combatants who were in custody at Mukoni camp in July 2006.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Burundi Réalités. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
