15 injured in protests over Burundi president's third-term bid

Fifteen people were injured, of whom four were in a critical condition and one other was a pregnant woman, in Burundi's capital Bujumbura on Tuesday, the Red Cross has said, as protests over President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term continued.

"We have counted 15 injured people. One of them was a pregnant woman who was traumatized. Four of the victims sustained serious injuries and our ambulances have taken them to hospital," spokesman for Burundi Red Cross, Alexis Manirakiza, said.

Police were forced to fire in the air near the U.S. Embassy in Kigobe residential zone, to disperse protesters who came from Ngagara district and wanted to enter the city center.

On the same day, Burundi's constitutional court ruled that Nkurunziza can run for a third term.

Protests have escalated since April 26 -- one day after Nkurunziza was nominated by the ruling CNDD-FDD as its candidate for June's presidential election.

At least 12 people have so far been killed in clashes between police and protesters, the Red Cross says.

The opposition says his re-election bid violates the constitution which only allow the president to be elected to two terms in office.

However, the president's supporters say his first term doesn't count as he was appointed by parliament in 2005 after the civil war ended, not elected by the people. Endi