Burundi protests rage as regional leaders prepare to meet

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/12/burundi-protests-regional-leaders-meet

Version 0 of 1.

Police opened fire on protesters in Burundi where the president, Pierre Nkurunziza, is defying international pressure to end his bid for a third term.

One protester died in the clashes with police in the capital, Bujumbura, and two others were reported killed overnight in a grenade explosion. In two weeks of anti-government demonstrations, more than 20 people have been killed.

Leaders of the five-nation East African Community – made up of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda as well as Burundi – are due to hold an emergency meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo president, Joseph Kabila; South Africa’s deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa; and the leading US diplomat for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, are also expected to attend.

More than 50,000 Burundians have fled into neighbouring nations since the unrest began.

On Tuesday, police in Bujumbura opened fire on protesters in an apparent attempt to scatter crowds who wanted to attack the house of a police officer. An AFP journalist at the scene saw two people with gunshot wounds, one of them a boy of around 10 who had been hit in the arm.

In another part of the capital, officers fired teargas to break up a crowd of 200 youths. Police have ripped down barricades on main roads but side streets in key opposition areas remained blocked, guarded by demonstrators.

Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to withdraw from next month’s election and stand down.

Opposition groups say it is unconstitutional for Nkurunziza to run for more than two terms. But he argues that his first presidential term did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people.

Aremus, a 24-year old protester, said: “The [EAC] presidents should be clear with Nkurunziza … they must tell him to leave for the good of everybody.”

Donatien, manning one of the street barricades, said: “The summit tomorrow is a test … the heads of state must show their maturity in crisis management by telling Nkurunziza to leave.”

The clashes between security forces and demonstrators have raised fears of a return to violence in the central African state, which is still recovering from a 13-year civil war that ended in 2006.

On Monday, the EU and the US called for the elections to be delayed. The African Union Commission chief, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said last week the time was not right for elections and that it was “clear that there shouldn’t be a third term”.

Nkurunziza said in a BBC interview that postponing the vote would worsen the situation. “I can tell you that for enduring stability in Burundi you can’t say that you can’t organise elections,” he said. “There would be many violence and many problems.”

The constitutional court found in Nkurunziza’s favour when asked to rule on the third-term issue, but not before one of the judges fled the country claiming its members were subject to death threats.

Nkurunziza said: “Today we are optimistic that the elections will be very peaceful, transparent and also fair. We can assure (you) that we will accept the outcome of the ballot box.”