June 4,2008: The Burundian Army's Rapid Mobile Intervention Group (GMIR is the French acronym) is accused of illegal detention and torture in 2007. The GMIR is generally regarded as the Burundian Army's elite force.

May 30, 2008: The head of a Forces for National Liberation (FNL-PALIPEHUTU) faction that had quit the peace process, returned to Burundi's capital, Bujumbura. A member of the peace mediation team in Burundi said the return of Agathon Rwasa was part of a new push to revive the peace process and put the Comprehensive Peace Agreement into full effect. South African peacekeepers were part of the official contingent that met Rwasa (the contingent included government members and international diplomats). That's telling. Rwasa's FNL faction (Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People) argues that the Burundi military is not trustworthy and cannot be trusted.

May 20, 2008: UN mediators and representatives from sub-Saharan Africa states believe the Burundi peace process is "getting back on track." Contacts with the FNL-PALIPEHUTU have been renewed.

May 8, 2008: The Burundian Army claimed that it had killed 50 members of the FNL-PALIPEHUTU in a series of firefights near Bujumbura (the Kabezi area, 20 kilometers south of the city). Subsequently, the FNL faction said that government forces launched an attack. The rebels said the attack undermined diplomatic moves to restart the Burundi peace process.

May 7, 2008: The Burundi government believe that many fighters have left the FNL-PALIPEHUTU and that the faction now has fewer than 3,000 rebels. The faction disputes this count. That said, the 3000 figure has been batted around for several months. Some of the recent firefights have involved several hundred FNL gunmen, which could indicate great strength – or that government forces have hit major rebel bases.