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American Morning

State Broadcast Says Burundi Government Overthrown

Aired April 18, 2001 - 10:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As we were getting that report about conditions in one western African country, we're actually getting breaking news right now on another African nation. This coming in to us from Reuters.

We're understanding now that there's been an announcement on state radio and television that the -- in the nation of Burundi, that the government there has been overthrown. This announcement comes from a state-run television and radio out of Bujumbura, which is the capital of that nation.

And the announcement said that the government has been overthrown and that the parliament has been suspended. They -- we're still waiting for some comment from the actual president of the country. He's president Pierre Buyoya, because he is out of the country right now on another mission and a spokesmen for him says that he has not even heard of this situation.

That nation has been in the middle of a civil -- has been fighting a civil war for some -- since 1993, so that's almost some -- eight years now, and we understand almost that 200,000 lives have been lost in that civil war, and another phase does continue now in that nation. We'll keep our eye on that story and have that for you, more developments as they come into the CNN Center.

Stay with us, more in a moment.

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