Pre-election violence escalates in Burundi
FOUR people were killed and about 30 wounded in grenade attacks in Burundi a week ahead of key parliamentary elections, as the government and opposition yesterday traded blame for the blasts.
The troubled central African nation has been in crisis since late April over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial bid to stand for a third consecutive five-year term, a move branded by opponents as unconstitutional and a violation of a 2006 peace deal that ended 13 years of civil war.
Presidential communications chief Willy Nyamitwe blamed the opposition, saying they wanted to replay the situation seen in elections in 2010, when they boycotted polls.
“This terror campaign has a similarity with what happened in the aftermath of 2010,” he said, blaming the attacks on “politicians and civil society activists who promised the people that there will be no elections at all in 2015.”
Parliamentary elections are planned for Monday, ahead of the presidential vote on July 15.
But the opposition rejected any involvement and condemned the attacks, accusing the government of trying to exploit them to get rid of their opponents. “Our movement is and will remain peaceful,” a spokesman for the coalition Arusha Movement, which includes both opposition parties and civil society groups opposing Nkurunziza’s third term, said.
“It could be a plot to sow terror, and to blame that on his opponents in order to stop those who oppose the third term,” Jeremiah Minani said.
The grenade blasts, which took place overnight on Sunday to yesterday, were the latest in a string of attacks. Overnight on Friday, 11 police officers were wounded in a series of explosions.
Last week, the Burundian human rights group Aprodeh said at least 70 people had been killed, 500 wounded and more than 1 000 jailed since late April, when the opposition took to the streets to protest Nkurunziza’s bid to remain in power.
More than 100 000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring countries.
Nkurunziza survived a coup attempt last month and has since faced down international pressure, including aid cuts, aimed at forcing him to reconsider his attempt to stay in power, which diplomats fear could plunge the country back into war.