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2 killed in Burundi's protests against president's third term: witnesses

Xinhua, April 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least two protesters were killed and about ten others injured in protests staged Sunday in various neighborhoods of the Burundian capital Bujumbura in protest against the third term of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Witnesses told Xinhua that an unknown number of demonstrators were arrested.

"One of them was shot dead at Musaga (south) by policemen who fired real bullets against demonstrators," said Henri Barampama who was also demonstrating.

Another demonstrator Pasteur Ntaconayigize said that the other one was killed in Cibitoke (north).

Both demonstrators added that the protests took place simultaneously in the capital's neighborhoods.

During the protests, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who also stoned police agents.

In various neighborhoods notably Nyakabiga (center), Musaga (south) and Cibitoke (north), protesters burned tires at main junctions of streets and obstructed them with big woods and stones in order to block the ways to cars.

"I joined other protesters because the third term of Pierre Nkurunziza is unacceptable. It is a violation of the law. These protests will go on until the ruling party chooses another candidate," said Jean Berchmans Nijimbere, a protester met at Musaga neighborhood.

The peaceful demonstrations had been convened by the civil society and some opposition parties

"We had called on citizens countrywide to gather at the communal levels to start the peaceful demonstrations. In the capital Bujumbura, protesters had been requested to march calmly from their communes to the Independence Square in the city center, " said Vital Nshimirimana, chairman of the Umbrella for the Burundian Civil Society (FORSC).

Burundian Home Affairs Minister Edouard Nduwimana later in the day held a press conference where he urged local radio stations to suspend their live reporting on the demonstrations that were going on.

"I came here to urge radio stations to suspend their live reporting on these demonstrations. This can cause uncontrolled mass protests countrywide. I also requested the police for restraint during these demonstrations," said Home Affairs Minister Edouard Nduwimana.

President Nkurunziza was Saturday elected by his party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), in an extraordinary congress, to represent the party in the upcoming presidential election.

Earlier, Burundi's opposition and civil society had called for mass protests if the country's ruling party nominates Nkurunziza to run a third term which, they say, would be a violation of the country's constitution and the Arusha Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Burundi.

The East African country's Roman Catholic Church and dissidents within the ruling party have also announced their opposition against Nkurunziza's third term.

The constitution and the Arusha Agreement stipulate that a president of Burundi cannot serve the country for more than two terms.

Nkurunziza was elected by parliament in 2005 and directly re- elected by citizens in 2010.

Burundi is this year to hold general elections between May 26 and August 24, with the presidential election to be held on June 26. Endi