Belgian envoy to Africa over Burundi massacre

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Belgian is dispatching a special envoy to central Africa in an attempt to calm rising tension in the region following the weekend massacre of at least 160 refugees at a UN camp in Burundi.

Foreign minister Karel De Gucht late Wednesday expressed “very strong concern” about the situation in the border region between Burundi, Rwanda and Congo. Burundi and Rwanda on have threatened to send troops into Congo to hunt down militiamen who attacked the camp for Tutsi refugees from bases in eastern Congo.A Burundian Hutu rebel group has claimed responsibility for the killings, but Burundi’s army chief accused Congolese soldiers of joining in.Congo said it wanted to resolve the situation diplomatically, but was ready “to react” if Burundian or Rwandan troops crossed the border.Belgian officials said envoy Jan Mutton will fly Friday to Congo for urgent talks with authorities there before heading to Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.Belgium was the colonial power in Congo, Rwanda and Burundi until the early 1960s and has sought to maintain close ties with them.African leaders meeting Wednesday in Tanzania on appealed to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Burundi’s National Liberation Forces, which said its fighters staged the attack because Burundian soldiers and Congolese Tutsi militiamen were hiding among the refugees.Burundian officials and witnesses said the rebels were accompanied by Hutu extremists based in Congo.- Nampa-APBurundi and Rwanda on have threatened to send troops into Congo to hunt down militiamen who attacked the camp for Tutsi refugees from bases in eastern Congo.A Burundian Hutu rebel group has claimed responsibility for the killings, but Burundi’s army chief accused Congolese soldiers of joining in.Congo said it wanted to resolve the situation diplomatically, but was ready “to react” if Burundian or Rwandan troops crossed the border.Belgian officials said envoy Jan Mutton will fly Friday to Congo for urgent talks with authorities there before heading to Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.Belgium was the colonial power in Congo, Rwanda and Burundi until the early 1960s and has sought to maintain close ties with them.African leaders meeting Wednesday in Tanzania on appealed to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Burundi’s National Liberation Forces, which said its fighters staged the attack because Burundian soldiers and Congolese Tutsi militiamen were hiding among the refugees.Burundian officials and witnesses said the rebels were accompanied by Hutu extremists based in Congo.- Nampa-AP