But most of the camps are inaccessible or in dangerous rebel-held areas. Many aid workers have been ambushed and killed. Some NGO staff has received death threats. Nelson Mandela, leading the Burundi peace talks in Arusha, has spoken out against the clear abuse of human rights perpetrated in the camps. There have been reports of soldiers shooting those attempting to get back to their fields to harvest crops.
Rebels also kill and rob the defenceless population.
They are caught in the middle with nowhere to turn. According to one witness, troops who went to his former village stole roofing sheets from their houses and sold them in Bujumbura. They returned drunk and were ambushed by the rebels who killed 17 of the soldiers. The next day soldiers in Rusibo camp shot 17 young men in retaliation. The government has pledged to start closing the camps.