Burundi's president gives 1 week to arrest killers of former intelligence chief

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has given one week to investigators to identify killers of former Intelligence Chief Lieutenant General Adolphe Nshimirimana assassinated Sunday morning, the president said Sunday evening in a message to the nation.

"I call on security forces to do all they can to arrest and bring before trial, within one week, killers of Lieutenant General Adolphe Nshimirimana," said Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza.

He indicated that the whole country (Burundi) is "mourning" the assassination of Nshimirimana.

"I am sending condolences to his family, his former colleagues in the defense and security institutions and his colleagues at the office of the Burundian president," said Nkurunziza.

He said Nshimirimana participated in the restructuring of the army and the police when former rebels integrated security and defense institutions since 2003.

Nkurunziza also condemned violence that is targeting these days some political leaders and urged joint security committees to work hard in an effort to curb such violence.

Nshimirimana was Sunday morning killed in an ambush against his car at Kamenge neighborhood in the Burundian capital Bujumbura.

Witnesses said several men in military uniforms bombed his car with a mortar shell at 9:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). Endit