EIGHT PEOPLE INCLUDING A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AND AN EX-REBEL LEADER WERE AMONG EIGHT PEOPLE ARRESTED IN BURUNDI)S CAPITAL BUJUMBURA TUESDAY ON CLAIMS OF FOMENTING A COUP ATTEMPT AGAINST GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT PIERRE NKURUNZIZA LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED ACCORDING TO DPA0 0 ALPHONSE MARIE KADEGE WAS BURUNDI)S VICE PRESIDENT DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRY)S FIVE-YEAR TRANSITIONAL PERIOD THAT ENDED IN AUGUST 2005 AFTER 13 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR WHEN FORMER HUTU REBEL LEADER NKURUNZIZA WON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS0 ALAIN MUGABARABONA HEADED A FORMER REBEL GROUP THAT HAD SIGNED A PEACE DEAL WITH NKURUNZIZA)S GOVERNMENT WAS ARRESTED ON MONDAY FOR THE COUP PLOT ALLEGEDLY UNCOVERED IN JUNE THE BBC REPORTED0 THE ARRESTS COME AT A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO REVIVE STALLED PEACE TALKS WITH THE COUNTRY)S LAST REMAINING ACTIVE REBEL GROUP THE HUTU FORCES NATIONAL DE LIBERATION /FNL/ WHICH STAGED AN AUDACIOUS BOMBING IN THE CAPITAL BUJUMBURA IN JUNE0 BURUNDI IS ONLY JUST RECOVERING FROM THE CIVIL WAR BETWEEN THE ETHNIC HUTU MAJORITY AND THE MINORITY TUTSIS0 THE WAR WHICH CLAIMED THE LIVES OF SOME 000300 PEOPLE WAS SPARKED IN 1993 WHEN HUTU REBELS LAUNCHED AN OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TUTSI-DOMINATED GOVERNMENT AND ARMY0 -
