Itaba massacre
Encyclopedia
The Itaba massacre was according to Amnesty International
the "massacre
of between 173 and 267 unarmed civilians, many of them women, children and the elderly, who were deliberately and unlawfully killed in Itaba commune, Gitega province (Burundi) on 9 September 2002". The killings were carried out by members of the armed forces of Burundi
.
The Burundian authorities blamed the deaths on cross fire between government forces and the Counseil National pour la Defense de la Democracie - Forces pour la Defense de la Democracie (CNDD-FDD). Human rights groups have stated that civilians were deliberately targeted.
In 2002, the European Union
called for an independent inquiry into the killings after criticising the judicial proceedings of a military court which found two officers guilty of failing to obey orders. They were sentenced to four months in prison, and released, having already served that time since their arrest.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
the "massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
of between 173 and 267 unarmed civilians, many of them women, children and the elderly, who were deliberately and unlawfully killed in Itaba commune, Gitega province (Burundi) on 9 September 2002". The killings were carried out by members of the armed forces of Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
.
The Burundian authorities blamed the deaths on cross fire between government forces and the Counseil National pour la Defense de la Democracie - Forces pour la Defense de la Democracie (CNDD-FDD). Human rights groups have stated that civilians were deliberately targeted.
In 2002, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
called for an independent inquiry into the killings after criticising the judicial proceedings of a military court which found two officers guilty of failing to obey orders. They were sentenced to four months in prison, and released, having already served that time since their arrest.