News Flash
Burundi opens trial of mutinous peacekeepers
Location: Burundi.
Posted on Thu, 4th Feb 2010.
A Burundian soldier. Burundi has begun trying 33 soldiers accused of mutiny while serving as peacekeepers …
Military prosecutor Lietenant-Colonel Jean-Claude Nzigamasabo said that on January 9, 2009 the junior officers gathered and took arms without permission and disobeyed their superiors.
The officers did so "to demand 6,000 dollars, claiming that their superiors had embezzled the money promised by the AU," Nzigamasabo told the court.
"All the 33 soldiers are being tried for revolting and incitement to revolt. They took arms and positioned themselves in all the strategic areas at Mogadishu university," the prosecutor said.
Only 23 of the accused were present during the hearing, five having deserted and five others were absent.
"The army defrauded us of 100 dollars on our monthly salary, 10 dollars on our daily food rations and 2,000 dollars on our deployment fee, which makes a total of 6,000 dollars per soldier," one of the accused officers told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The incident had been kept under wraps and the soldiers were arrested when they returned home weeks after the stand-off.
Burundi and Uganda are the only countries to have deployed troops to Somalia for the AU peacekeeping mission.
The oft-delayed salaries of the AU's Burundi force is a sensitive issue among the troops serving in the pan-African body's mission in Somalia.
AFP
More General News
Post a Comment
More StoriesView all News
Egypt confirms site for its first nuclear plant 10 now arrested in shooting of ex-Rwandan general Top S.Africa labour group threatens to widen strike Powerful ex-gang leader shot in Nigerian oil hub Ban Ki-moon sends top aide to Congo after mass rape Train rams minibus in S.Africa, at least 8 children dead Car bomber attack on Mauritanian army base thwarted Al Shabaab push towards the palace of Somali President Consensus in Egypt party for another Mubarak term Train hits van in SAfrica; kills at least 9 kids Egypt clamps down on security after museum theft 4 executed in Equatorial Guinea coup plot Homosexuality against word of God: African bishops South Africa bus collides with train killing children UN investigates claims of mass rape by DR Congo rebels [Video] Somali MPs killed in hotel suicide attack South Sudan plans mass return ahead of referendum MDC co-founder Gibson Sibanda dies Equatorial Guinea executions over coup plot condemned Thousands left homeless in Niger Suicide attack foiled in Mauritania UN sends envoy to DRC over rapes Deadly battles continue in Somalia Sudan plans to build nuclear plant Spain denies hostages release Fighters killed in Somalia blasts Nigerian leader may run for president -- unless he does not Some 200 women gang-raped near Congo UN base Rwanda detained relative of dissident general Gunmen in Nigeria abduct 10-year-old son of politicianLet your stories be heard. Sign up here and start posting it live on Afrika Speaks
Latest Video
Browse by Publishers
Browse by Country
Recent Comments
If i am wanted, come for me in Ghana– Frank RajaFrank is not capable of doing that pls leave him alone......