Gunshots heard near Burundi's national broadcaster

Several gunshot sounds were heard on Tuesday at around 10:30 a.m. local time near Burundi's national broadcaster, RTNB.

Sources told Xinhua the gunshots from the kalashnikov gun lasted for about three minutes, not far from the RTNB offices, before calm was later restored.

The incident created panic among the workers of RTNB and those of other offices situated within the same zone such as the ministry of geology and mines, sourses said.

On Monday night, a vehicle was burnt down by unknown people in the urban commune of Musaga and another in Cibitoke, both respectively situated in southern and northern Bujumbura, the capital.

This comes at a time when Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, the president of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Incarcerated Persons (APRODH), had survived an assassination attempt in Burundian capital.

The APRODH boss was attacked after the former director general of the National Intelligence Service and former head of Burundi army, Gen. Adolphe Ndayishimiye, had been killed on Sunday.

Burundi's current political crisis dates back to April 25, 2015, when the ruling party endorsed incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza to contest for another term, a move the opposition termed unconstitutional.

Since then, the country has witnessed a wave of street protests, a failed coup and fleeing into exile of several opposition leaders as well as continued threats by senior army officers to depose the current regime. Endit