Burundi gov't condemns burning man alive

The Burundian government has condemned killings happening during the ongoing protests against the third term of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, especially a man burned Thursday alive in Nyakabiga, the Burundian government said after visiting Nyakabiga.

"We strongly condemn this criminal act that happened here in Nyakabiga and elsewhere in other urban communes. We call on Burundian people to remain united and we call for solidarity despite protests," said Burundian Home Affairs Minister Edouard Nduwimana who was heading a delegation of ministers.

According to him, there is "no justification" for any killing for whichever claim.

Nduwimana said, "Truth will one day be revealed and criminals will be brought before trial."

As protests against the third term of President Pierre Nkurunziza entered into their tenth consecutive day they broke out in the capital Bujumbura on April 26, at least three people were killed on Thursday alone in three separate incidents.

Two of them died in two different neighborhoods in the capital Bujumbura while the third one died at Gisozi in the province of Mwaro, some 50 km east of the Burundian capital Bujumbura.

Witnesses said that a protester succumbed to his injuries when a group of Imbonerakure (Burundi's ruling party youths' wing) blasted a grenade against protesters in Kinama neighborhood.

During the grenade explosion, an unknown number of protesters were injured.

Another young man suspected to be an Imbonerakure was burned alive in Nyakabiga neighborhood after protesters suspected that he had come to spy them.

The third victim is a secondary school pupil who was shot dead by a policeman at Gisozi in the province of Mwaro during protests against Nkurunziza's third term.

Pierre Nkurunziza was designated by his party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) on April 25, sparking disagreements within the opposition and some civil society organizations saying Nkurunziza's nomination was a violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha agreement that provide two terms of five years each for a president of Burundi.

On Tuesday, the Burundian constitutional court however passed the candidacy of Nkurunziza for another term.

In a message to the nation on Wednesday evening, President Nkurunziza called on protesters to stop their demonstrations and pledged that if he is elected in the upcoming presidential election, it will be his "last" term.

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