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Man'sWay to Peace!
Untold thousands
of
human beings hove been
slaughtered the
post
two years in
o
little known
oreo of
Africa. The United Nations has not
intervened. Could this local bloodbath
foreshadow coming worldwide bloodbaths
of for
greater proportions?
by
Arthur W. Docken
16
T
HE PROGRAMMED
execution of
multiple tens of thousands of
human beings has been re–
ported from the tiny African nation
of Buruodi.
This suffering country, smaller in
area than Switzerland. líes on tbe
eastern borders of the great Congo
basin. l ts population is approxi–
mately 3.5 million.
The ruling group in Burundi is
made up. for the most part , of the
Watusi. who comprise 15 percent of
the total population. The over–
whelming majority are Hutus, with
just a sprinkling of Europeans and
Asians. Nearly half of the Bu–
rundians are Roman Catholic. An–
other 40 percent continue in their
ancient animistic beliefs. The re–
mainder are mostly Protestant.
When rumors began to seep out
that a bloodbath was going on, few
people took notice. After all, Bu–
rundi isn't an important place in the
eyes of the world's big powers be–
cause it has little to offer economi–
cally. Cotfee is its major export. The
average Burundian had a cash in–
come ofless than $15 ayear in 1969.
And there has been little improve–
ment since.
But the stories continued, and
sorne few began to ask questions.
Fioally, the government issued an
explanation ofwhat was happening.
According to the official Burundi
government account, the majority
Hutus were incited by foreign Pro–
testant missionaries to overthrow
the Watusi rulers. After the first few
skirmishes in which severa! thou–
sand Tutsis died, the governmeot
stepped in and began an orderly de–
cimation of the Hutus in order to
put dowo the insurrection.
Only a few on-the-spot reports of
the struggle in Burundi have
reached the outside world.
Sorne reports iodicate that instead
of puttiog down rebe!lion, the Tutsi
rulers have been killing off any
Hutus of ability, education and
af–
fluence, or those engaged in a busi–
ness. Anyone exhibiting potential
PLAIN
TRUTH
July-August 1973