‘Corpses in streets’ after worst outbreak of clashes in Burundi

Western powers fear country sliding back into civil war

Nearly 90 people were killed during Friday’s clashes in the Burundian capital, the army said on Saturday, the worst outbreak of violence in Burundi since a failed coup in May.

Blasts and gunfire echoed around Bujumbura for most of Friday and residents said officials spent the day collecting bullet-riddled bodies from city streets.

There was no fighting overnight and the capital’s streets were calm on Saturday.

Unanimous resolution

In New York, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Saturday that called on all parties in the country to immediately engage in peace talks.

It once more hinted at possible sanctions, warning of the 15-nation council’s “intention to consider additional measures against all Burundian actors whose actions and statements contribute to the perpetuation of violence and impede the search for a peaceful solution.”

Army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza said gunmen had attacked three military sites in Bujumbura, kindling a day of clashes across the city. He said 79 attackers were killed and 45 others captured. Four police officers and four soldiers also died.

“Sweep operations have finished now,” Baratuza said, adding officials confiscated weapons and ammunition.

Unrest in Burundi, which started in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans for a third term in office, has unnerved a region still volatile two decades after the genocide in Rwanda.

Friday’s clashes were condemned by the United States, which like other Western powers fears the Central African nation could slide back into ethnic conflict. The police did not identify the gunmen. One of the generals behind the failed coup attempt said afterwards that his rebel group still aimed to topple the president.

Residents said some of Friday’s dead were killed after being rounded up by the police in house-to-house searches, an allegation the police denied.

According to witnesses and pictures circulated on social media, some bodies had their hands tied behind their backs.