Burundi: At Least 34 Police Killed in Months Violence

Local Editor

Burundi government said on Tuesday that at least 34 policemen were killed and almost 300 wounded in the country since violent protests erupted in April against the president's bid to remain in power.

A report by Public Security Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni said that "The 'insurrectional movement' caused significant losses on all sides."

Bunyoni confirmed that 34 police officers were killed and 293 were injured in attacks by insurgents.

The report gave no details of other casualties, although the UN says that at least 240 people have been killed and more than 200,000 have fled the country.

Bunyoni's report further added that the police handled the situation with "professionalism, loyalty and self-sacrifice."

For its part, Burundi's government blamed a string of attacks on "armed criminals." Relatively, the UN warned that Burundi risks sliding back into civil war after a dramatic rise in violence.

On the other hand, rights groups offer a different picture. Testimonies recorded by Amnesty International accuse both the police and National Intelligence Service [SNR] of "torture and other ill-treatment" against protestors.

Amnesty reported in August that: "Police beat people with electric cables and batons, while the SNR used iron bars, as well as forcing detainees' heads under dirty water."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team