Burundi suspends 10 civic groups

Bujumbura - Burundi's government on Monday suspended the
licenses of 10 non-governmental organizations over
allegations they have been involved in anti-government
activities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the suspended groups
played a role in a failed coup attempt in May against President
Pierre Nkurunziza, whose decision to seek a third term
sparked violent street protests in the capital, Bujumbura.
Gideon Niyungeko, whose group Focode is one of those under
suspension, said he was not surprised by the decision and
condemned a government he said "kills kids, young men and
aged people." His group's stated goals are to promote good
governance and development.
Many of Burundi's opposition leaders and rights activists have
fled into exile, while some have been assassinated. Among the
suspended groups is the one led by Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, a
prominent rights activist who is now exiled in Belgium after
surviving an assassination attempt.
Also Read: Six killed in Burundi violence - police
The government has been carrying out a disarmament
operation in volatile parts of Bujumbura, hoping to get
weapons out of civilian hands, but many people here blame
the security forces for a wave of extra-judicial killings that
have raised international concern. Some of those killed,
however, have been supporters of the government, including a
military general who had served as a spy chief.
Gunfire and loud explosions now characterise life in
Bujumbura, and many have fled their homes over safety
concerns.
The UN says at least 240 people have been killed since April,
but the actual death toll is likely much higher.
Although the current conflict appears political, Burundi has a
history of deadly conflicts between the country's Hutu and
Tutsi ethnic groups.
Nkurunziza took power in 2005 near the end of a civil war in
which some 300 000 people were killed between 1993 and
2006.
- AP