70 Reportedly Slain in Burundi
Troops of this Central African nation massacred at least 70 Hutu civilians on and around hills in the center of the country Thursday, community workers Sunday quoted survivors as saying.
The expatriate workers, who have lived in the area of the massacre for two years but declined to be identified, had compiled a list from local residents of the names of 40 Hutus and one member of the Twa ethnic group killed by troops.
They said an additional 30 Hutus were killed but could not be named by residents because they had only recently arrived in the area in the northwest part of Gitega province.
Lt. Col. Jean-Bosco Daradangwe, a senior Burundian military officer, said he had not heard of the reported massacre. He said he would investigate the reports.
The foreign workers said they could not pinpoint a reason for the massacre but that it may have been in retaliation for the killing Wednesday of four people in the area by Hutu rebels.
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