In April, Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would run for a third presidential term in the July 21 elections.
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“Burundi has been slipping closer to the edge with every high-profile attack and killing, and we call on leaders on all sides to take concrete steps to renounce the use of violence and to resolve differences peacefully”, she continued.
His daughter was reported to have been seriously wounded in the attack and rushed to hospital.
The attempted assassination of prominent human rights defender Mbonimpa came one day after the killing of Nshimirimana, former Burundian intelligence chief.
Col Jean Bikomagu, who led the armed forces during the country’s civil war, was gunned down as he drove through the gates of his house.
Another pro-government account, however, said it was a pity the colonel would now “not be tried for the hundreds of thousands of Hutu killed in Burundi”. “Blackened by the assassination of a senior member of the Burundian army in retirement, Colonel Jean Bikomagu…Very sad, very shocking”.
The opposition said his re-election was illegal as it violated the constitution that sets a two-term limit for presidency.
“He was not killed by bandits and there was no money stolen, it’s something else”, said a relative who also did not wish to be named.
The office said that at least 96 people had been killed since the start of election-related unrest in April.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the U.N. human rights agency, urged all sides in the East African nation “to resume dialogue before the situation spirals completely out of control”.
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Zuma “underlines that this ignoble act and many other violent acts in Burundi these last few months illustrate the gravity of the situation and the real risk of further deterioration with catastrophic consequences for the country and the whole region”, the statement said.
