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<I><A HREF='
http://www.clari.net/'>ClariNet</A> <CLARI-ITEM TYPE>story</CLARI-ITEM> <B><CLARI-ITEM SLUGWORD>BURUNDI-EXPLOSIONS</CLARI-ITEM></B> from <CLARI-ITEM FROM>Reuters</CLARI-ITEM></I><BR>
<H1><CLARI-ITEM HEADLINE>Mine blasts near Burundi capital kill three</CLARI-ITEM></H1>
<I><B><CLARI-ITEM COPYRIGHT>Copyright 1997 by Reuters</CLARI-ITEM></B></I> / <I><CLARI-ITEM DATE>Tue, 25 Mar 1997 10:21:47 PST</CLARI-ITEM></I><P>
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<P> NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuter) - Two mines exploded Tuesday on the
road from Burundi's capital Bujumbura to its airport, killing
three civilians and wounding 13 on a bus, an army spokesman
said.</P>
<P> Army spokesman Lt.-Col. Isaie Nibizi said the army deplored
the deaths of innocent civilians and an investigation was
underway ``with serious leads.'' He gave no more details.</P>
<P> The independent radio Studio Ijambo said body parts of the
dead were scattered around the road near where the bus was hit
by the blasts on the airport road.</P>
<P> It said bursts of gunfire were heard in the hills
surrounding Bujumbura moments after the two explosions and some
of the 13 wounded head already left hospital in the capital.</P>
<P> The mine blasts were the second such attack around Bujumbura
this month.</P>
<P> Five people are held by authorities in connection with mine
blasts in Bujumbura that killed four people on March 12 and an
alleged plot to assassinate military ruler Pierre Buyoya, who
seized power with the Tutsi-dominated army last July.</P>
<P> Buyoya left by plane from Bujumbura airpport Tuesday for an
Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit in Lome, Togo, on the
war in Zaire, Burundi's western neighbor, officials said.</P>
<P> They declined to comment when asked whether the mine blasts
were a second attempt to assassinate Buyoya, who had delayed his
trip to Bujumbura airport from the morning to the afternoon.</P>
<P> Senior officials were unavailable to comment because they
had also gone to Lome.</P>
<P> Regional states imposed sanctions on Burundi and a travel
ban on Burundian officials shortly after the July coup and
demanded talks between the government and Hutu rebels led by
Leonard Nyangoma.</P>
<P> But Buyoya, a retired army major, was invited to the OAU
summit because the continental organization has not approved the
sanctions although OAU officials have said they support them.</P>
<P> Congo said Thursday it had opened an air corridor to Burundi
despite the regional sanctions as the United Nations had not
decreed the embargo so Lome could do what it wanted.</P>
<P> Authorities said two weeks ago they had arrested eight
people including five members of the Parena party, led by former
military ruler Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, who were suspected of
involvement in the plot to kill Buyoya and the mine blasts.</P>
<P> Buyoya ousted Bagaza from power in 1987. Both are Tutsis but
Bagaza, a hard-liner, has been under house arrest since January.</P>
<P> More than 150,000 people have been killed in massacres and
civil war between Hutu rebels and the army since the killing of
Burundi's first freely elected Hutu president in October 1993.</P>
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