Around 50 fighters with the Hutu militia FNL were killed in clashes in Burundi with government troops, Burundi military officials reported Thursday, according to dpa. FNL rebels have been firing missiles at government positions in Bujumbura for the last three weeks, in an escalation after months of relative quiet. An army spokesman cited by BBC news said the latest fighting near the capital Bujumbura was the heaviest in the past weeks. Two government soldiers were also killed. The FNL is the last rebel group in the small central AFrican country to not sign a peace treaty. The group had theoretically declared a ceasefire in September 2006. Rebel leaders in exile in Tanzania are demanding participation in the government and amnesty. Tanzania has given the exile leadership a deadline in the coming weeks to return to Burundi and take up peace talks.
