The human rights group, Amnesty International,

has accused the Tutsi-dominated army in Burundi

of deliberately killing hundreds of Hutu civilians in

continuing ethnic violence.

In a new report, Amnesty says that Hutus - who

form the majority of Burundi's population - have

been murdered in reprisal for rebel attacks.

It says it has also received reports of women and

girls being raped by government soldiers and of

wealthy Hutus being arbitrarily arrested and

accused of financing the rebels.

Burundi's ambassador at the

United Nations, Darouzanie

Gamaliel, rejected claims that

government troops had

deliberately killed civilians.

He said the army had "merely made mistakes in

military operations against rebel attacks".

Blame on both sides

Amnesty believes the army is not alone in its

abuses.

It also accuses Hutu rebel groups trying to

overthrow the Tutsi-led government, killing scores

of civilians they think might be potential informers

for the army, and forcibly recruiting fellow Hutus.

They are also accused of carrying out killings

during raids on camps housing displaced Tutsis.

Ethnic violence 'ignored'

Amnesty says Burundi's continuing civil war has

been virtually ignored by the outside world, whose

attention is now focused on the fighting in

neighbouring Congo.

Since war broke out five years ago, more than

200,000 people have been killed in ethnic violence.

Burundi's troubles are rooted in the conflict

between the minority Tutsi, who ruled the country

for centuries, and the majority Hutu.

The country's first Hutu president, Melchior

Ndadaye, was assassinated in 1993, shortly after

his election victory.

The Tutsi-dominated government of Major Buyoya

seized power in a military coup two years ago, but

the dominant force in Burundi's parliament is the

largely Hutu Front for Democracy, or Frodebu.

Although fighting continues, Burundi has been

making attempts to end its war.

The government and Hutu rebel groups have held

three rounds of peace talks to discuss the

formation of a power-sharing government.

But if Amnesty is to be believed, the current

tension between the government and Hutu rebels

shows no sign of dying down.

UN condemns violence

The Amnesty report

comes one week after the

Burundian army admitted

that its forces killed at

least 30 civilians in an

operation to hunt down

rebels south of the capital,

Bujumbura, earlier this

month.

Witnesses, however, say

as many as 100 civilians

were killed.

The UN Security Council has called on Burundi to

punish those responsible.

The government has said it will investigate the

incident.

19 NOV 1998 9H26 GMT BBC