Citation
BUJUMBURA, April 9 (Reuter) - U.S. Marines flew into the African state
of Burundi on Saturday, ready to help protect and evacuate Americans
trapped by the civil war in neighbouring Rwanda.
Reuters Television cameraman Jan Vermaylen saw about 100 Marines
disembark from a C-130 transport plane at the airport in Bujumbura, the
capital of Burundi.
Vermaylen, speaking to Brussels by telephone, said the Marines remained
at the airport after leaving the plane.
The United States is deploying some 330 Marines and seven military
aircraft to Bujumbura. There are some 230 U.S. nationals in Rwanda,
which has been torn apart by a civil war on ethnic lines. Washington
has told U.S. citizens to leave.
In addition to the forces sent to Burundi, four U.S. C-141 military
transport aircraft have been sent to Mombasa, Kenya.
The Americans are joining a growing international force preparing to
evacuate foreigners stranded in Kigali, where fighting erupted after
the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed in a rocket attack on
their plane on Wednesday.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
