Burundian government says an armed group of 18 heavily armed infiltrated into the country with the aim to carry out a mass killing in neighboring Musigati commune located in Bubanza province. PHOTO| FILE.
The Burundian government confirmed at least 14 armed men were killed during an armed confrontation in Bubanza province in the early Tuesday morning, Burundi’s police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said that the armed group invaded the country from Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the Burundian government an armed group of 18 heavily armed infiltrated into the country with the aim to carry out a mass killing in neighboring Musigati commune located in Bubanza province.
“14 were killed and 11 rifles seized on them obviously the group intended to repeat the last year’s carnage of Ruhagarika in Bubanza province commune,” said Pierre Nkurikiye.
In May last year as the country prepared a referendum to amend the country’s constitution, 26 people were killed by unknown armed group in Cibitoke province which borders Bubanza province and perpetrators are said to have escaped to the nearby forest in the DRC.
The killing of 14 armed men in Bubanza province comes as the country is set to organize general elections next year, Burundi president Pierre Nkurunziza on June 7th 2018 declared that he will not contest in the 2020 general elections after serving his term that ends in 2020.