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November
7, 2001
Burundi Officials Say Up to 300 Pupils Kidnapped
BUJUMBURA (Reuters) - Between 250 and 300 students were kidnapped by
rebels in a dawn raid on a school in Burundi on Friday, the rebels second
such abduction in the past week, a local government administrator said.
Come Hatungimana told Reuters by telephone from Kayanza province in
northwest Burundi that Hutu rebels had set fire to the library and boarding
section of Musema school before making off with all the male pupils, except
four who managed to escape.
"It seems that they are headed toward Kibira forest," he said. "I think the
rebels want to recruit them into the rebellion."
A rebel commander from the main Hutu FDD group confirmed to Reuters
from an undisclosed location that the group had taken the pupils, thought
to be aged between 13 and 21.
The Burundian army is already hunting for several teachers and more than
50 children aged between 10 and 16 who were abducted from their primary
school on Tuesday.
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