BURUNDI: PRESIDENT DEFENDS MILITARY COUP THAT BROUGHT HIM TO POWER

(26 Jul 1996) French/Nat

The man the Burundi military installed as President has been justifying the coup that brought him to power.

Pierre Buyoya says it was necessary to stop widespread killing between Hutus and Tutsis.

The take-over sparked international fears that the bloody ethnic fighting would erupt again.

However life on the streets of the capital Bujumbura appears back to normal and the new president has promised a return to democracy as soon as possible.

Business as usual in the capital Bujumbura on Friday where soldiers removed roadblocks and people went about their business.

The army lifted an overnight curfew that had closed businesses in Bujumbura and kept civilians at home.

Soldiers in small groups patrolled the streets, nearly all stores were open -- people went about their business and traffic was heavy.

Western leaders have condemned the coup, fearing it could bring on ethnic warfare on the scale of neighboring Rwanda's genocide.

At least 150-thousand people, mostly civilians, have died in spiraling violence in the past three years.

The majority Hutus have steadily taken up arms against the Tutsi military -- of Burundi's 6 (m) million people, 85 percent are Hutu and 14 percent Tutsi.

The army staged its coup Thursday against the Hutu President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.

Burundi's new leader -- Pierre Buyoya -- has urged the world community to accept the overthrow by the Tutsi-led army.

Speaking at his first press conference as his country's new leader, Pierre Buyoya said he wanted to involve all groups in discussion's about Burundi's future.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"Everybody knows that the democratic process has been ruined. We must think about and recount everything that has happened since '93. Here in Burundi we will conduct national dialogues open to all Burundians without exclusion."
SUPER CAPTION: Pierre Buyoya

Buyoya , who twice has assumed power through military means, said the coup leaders wanted to restore democracy but did not know how long that would take.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"I think that democracy is a day to day process, not a linear one. It's a process that has highs and lows but I think that today it's in ruins. Our process above all must avoid the genocide that everyone denounced but nobody did anything to stop."
SUPER CAPTION: Pierre Buyoya

Buyoya said the military had to act to halt the ethnically torn country's "descent into hell" -- he knows there will be no easy solution.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"The ethnic conflict continues -- we don't think it will end tomorrow. It's a long, long process but we never thought that foreign intervention would help the conflict."
SUPER CAPTION: Pierre Buyoya

The people of Burundi are weary of the bloody ethnic fighting -- most seem to welcome Thursday's military intervention.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"What I ask everybody here is do they feel alright. They feel like now is that it's coming on peace because it's been three years for war. Too much. Now it's the time for peace in our country."
VOX POP: Israic Hicuburuaji

Many Burundians seem to have accepted the coup and hope that their new leader will provide some much needed stability.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"The new chap who has taken power has experience who is going to act for the country. He has given us hope and we are waiting for him to put the country back on the tracks."
VOX POP: Gaijubienju Biebieo

But the outside world is keeping a very active eye on Burundi.


Washington has steadfastly ruled out deploying any U-S troops - instead, it has promised logistics, communications and transport aid.


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