Local journalist Patrick Wasso said the gunfire and explosions late Monday came from the direction of the Nyakabiga neighborhood where weeks of protests were held after the April announcement that Nkurunziza will run for a third term in office. It was not clear if anyone was hurt.
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Burundian writer Roland Rugero tweeted a photo of what appeared to be court documents that said it was, “neither judicious nor necessary or desirable to issue” the orders that would have allowed the election to be delayed. Grenade blasts marred a June parliamentary poll, which the opposition also boycotted.
Government representatives failed to show up Sunday for talks in Burundi aimed at ending the unrest caused by the president’s controversial bid for a third term, forcing the mediation to be adjourned just ahead of Tuesday’s election, the talks facilitator said.
Although Kiyonga asserted some progress had been made and that there was nonetheless an opportunity to convey the federal government again to the desk, a supply from the 5-nation East African Community (EAC) – which designated Uganda as the primary mediator – stated the method now seemed to be “lifeless”.
Save the Children, an NGO that advocates for children’s rights and provides relief and support in developing countries, said the 165,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring countries over the last few months, including 78,000 refugees now in Nyarugusu, a Tanzanian camp.
“The world is witnessing an escalating pattern of politically motivated violence in Burundi, enabled by the country’s decades-long tradition of impunity”, the experts warned.
Earlier United Nations-backed negotiations between the parties collapsed after the opposition insisted on President Pierre Nkurunziza’s exit.
That the ICC has laid charges only against African leaders is often cited by its critics as evidence western nations are primarily using it to further their own goals across the continent.
The talks were marked by tensions on Saturday, with the government side accusing the opposition of siding with the generals who led the failed coup.
Kiyonga said the dialogue had achieved some agreements before it was halted on Sunday, including the need to disarm illegally armed groups. Nkurunziza’s party won.
At least 77 people have died in the sporadic demonstrations, which at one point boiled over into an attempted military coup in May that was quickly crushed by pro-Nkurunziza forces.
Nkurunziza, however, views his presidency as divine destiny, and has campaigned on a promise of keeping the peace and lifting the country out of poverty.
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The CNDD-FDD scored a widely-expected landslide win in parliamentary polls held on May 29, but these were boycotted by the opposition and condemned internationally as neither free nor fair. Three candidates running against current president Pierre Nkurunziza withdrew from the race over the weekend due to concerns about the validity of the electoral process.
