BUJUMBURA, (Reuters) – Burundian riot police today forcibly dispersed crowds protesting against the president seeking a third term, a decision critics said is unconstitutional and could rekindle turmoil after a decade of calm in the East African state.
Witnesses said police used water cannon and tear gas and in some cases live bullets to scatter demonstrators in four districts of Bujumbura after President Pierre Nkurunziza’s government banned protests for or against his move.
At least one police officer and a protester were injured in the disturbances. Police had no immediate comment.
Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD party nominated Nkurunziza as its presidential candidate on Saturday, prompting hundreds of civil society groups to condemn the move as a “coup” against the constitution, which limits leaders to two terms in office.
Those opposed to a third term also say it goes against the spirit of a peace deal signed in 2000 that has kept Burundi calm for a decade since a civil war between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in the small, coffee-growing nation ended in 2005.
United Nations and Rwandan officials say just over 17,000 Burundians have fled into neighbouring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo since mid-March due to rising fear of violence in the run-up to the June 26 presidential election.
“We deplore the way police acted with violence against a peaceful demonstration,” Janvier Bigirimana, a civil society activist, said of Saturday’s events.
Interior Minister Edouard Nduwimana said the demonstrations were illegal because the government had banned any protest for or against the president pursuing a third term.
RADIO TOLD NOT TO COVER PROTESTS LIVE
“We have asked whoever is against the third term to follow legal procedures. Only the constitutional court can judge if Nkurunziza has the right to run or not,” he told Reuters.
More than 300 civil society organisations have called for demonstrations and a leading opposition politician has asked Nkurunziza to reconsider.
A Reuters witness said Nduwimana, police and the minister in charge of security had forced their way into the private radio station RPA and threatened to shut it down for broadcasting what they said were messages that were inciting people to revolt.
The station was then allowed to continue broadcasting but told not to carry live footage of the protests.
Dozens of protesters gathered in each of four Bujumbura suburbs and set off to reach the city centre for a march, but riot police blocked their path.
In one northern neighbourhood, protesters burnt tyres on the road and threw stones at police, who shot in the air and used water cannons to rout the crowd.
Witnesses said violence had spread to a second neighbourhood where one protester was wounded by gunfire from police, while a police officer was injured by a thrown rock.
Burundi’s constitution says the president is elected for a five-year term that can be renewed only once. Nkurunziza’s supporters say his first term should not count because he was chosen by parliament rather than by a popular vote.
African leaders and Western nations have urged Nkurunziza not to run again. The United States and the European Union indicated they could take punitive steps if violence erupted.