Unidentified gunmen opened fire in a crowded bar near Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi on Monday, September 19, 2011. There are at least 36 civilians dead and many more injured. Local hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of wounded. Most hospitals are running low on blood, medical equipment, beds and rooms, and medicine to treat the wounded. Some were even treated on the floor of a hospital. One survivor heard someone say, “Kill them all”, before opening fire. Survivors also say that the men might have worn military uniforms. Also, there have been reports that the attackers could have crossed the border and fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The government blames bandits for the shooting but some citizens fear the rise of a new rebel group. The last rebel group from Burundi’s civil war officially ceased attacking in 2009 but random attacks still occur. 300,000 people died in the civil war. The president of Burundi visited the site and has promised that there will be justice. He also canceled his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
CB: Geneva Maniwong-Schlottman
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