A/HRC/9/14 page 10 29. The lack of dialogue between the Government and the opposition, the ban on meetings by opposition parties and the lack of progress in finding a mutually acceptable solution with FNL-Palipehutu have created a highly explosive situation in Burundi. The threat of violent confrontation is widely evoked in Burundi, and should not be taken lightly, for several reasons. Firstly, the history of the use of violence to settle political disputes in Burundi is undeniable. Since gaining its independence, the country has never known real peace, as parties seeking to assert their perceived rights, or some presumed justice, have resorted to the use of armed force against their opponents. These periodic outbreaks of violence have led to serious violations of human rights. Secondly, the presence of firearms (estimated to be about 300,000) in the hands of the population constitutes a real threat to peace in an atmosphere that is politically complex. Thirdly, there is a large pool of discontented demobilized combatants with no gainful employment, whose susceptibility to political manipulation cannot be doubted. Fourthly, the current economic situation in the country, characterized by high unemployment, high prices of commodities and perennial food shortages, forms a ready-made breeding ground for recruitment. 30. The opposition politicians have appealed for intervention by the international community if the prospect of a bloody conflict is to be averted. However, the Government does not seem to see the need for such intervention and still believes that the country is going well and the Parliament is functioning well since the exclusion of the 22 parliamentarians. 31. The independent expert appeals to the international community to help Burundians find a solution to the current crisis. It is evident that the international community is fully aware that there is an impending danger to peace in Burundi, however, it seems too constrained by self-imposed diplomatic niceties, or too preoccupied with the semblance of a functioning Parliament - be that at the expense of the Constitution - to speak plainly to the protagonists. The independent expert recommends that, whatever the constraints, the international community must engage with the Government and the opposition in order to prevent another crisis in the country. A. Security 32. The security situation is characterized by an increase in armed attacks mainly targeting cars by alleged FNL members. As a result, a significant number of civilians were killed during the reporting period. Some of the victims were members of the opposition or former demobilized combatants of CNDD-FDD. Moreover, it was reported that 18 people, members of opposition parties, were allegedly murdered in early 2008 by members of the Service national de renseignement (SNR). This information was corroborated in Burundi by members of civil society and by the United Nations. 33. The independent expert was also informed that FNL had split and that several combatants had left the movement to join the demobilization centre in Bujumbura Rural. The FNL leadership rejected this allegation and blamed the Government for creating dissidents to weaken FNL-Palipehutu and its armed wing. A group claiming to be made up of FNL dissidents arrived in August 2007 in Bujumbura Rural and joined a temporary demobilization centre in Citiboke. On 4 and 5 September 2007, an armed confrontation broke out between self-declared FNL dissidents and loyalists in Bujumbura Mairie and Cibitoke provinces. As a result, more than 20 FNL dissidents were killed and a significant number of local residents left their homes for fear of further attacks.