BUJUMBURA, (Reuters) – Burundian police shot dead two protesters and wounded at least one other yesterday, the Red Cross said, in demonstrations against the president seeking a third term which critics say would violate a constitutional limit of two terms.
Witnesses said police used water cannon, tear gas and in some cases live bullets to disperse demonstrators across Bujumbura. The authorities earlier banned all protests either for or against President Pierre Nkurunziza’s renewed candidacy.
African leaders and Western nations have urged Nkurunziza not to run again, and the United States and the European Union have indicated they could take punitive steps if violence erupted as a result.
“We counted two protesters killed by police, four others were injured and one is in coma in hospital after being hit by a bullet,” Alexis Manirakiza, Burundi Red Cross spokesman told Reuters.
Police had no immediate comment on the casualties.
Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD party nominated Nkurunziza as its presidential candidate on Saturday. Those opposed say this not only violates the constitution, which limits leaders to two terms in office, but also goes against the spirit of a 2000 peace deal that has kept Burundi calm for a decade since a civil war between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis ended in 2005.
