US urges its citizens to get out of Burundi

The American government has asked its citizens to leave Burundi as soon as possible after 87 people were killed on Friday, as the violence surrounding the disputed third term of president Pierre Nkurunziza escalates.

Due to the continuing violence, non-emergency US government personnel and dependents of US government employees from Burundi have been ordered to leave the country, the State Department said. It added that the US embassy can only offer limited emergency services to US citizens in Burundi.

Political violence persists throughout Burundi following the country’s contested elections, an attempted coup and the controversy over Mr Nkurunziza standing for and winning a third term, the State Department’s travel warning said.

Gunfire and grenade attacks occur with frequency from armed groups operating in Burundi, but are usually not directed at foreigners, it said.

Last month, Belgium – Burundi’s former colonial power – advised its citizens to leave the central African country, amid rounds of weekly killings of opposition and government supporters.

More than 300 people have been killed and about 215,000 others have fled Burundi since April, when it was first announced that Mr Nkurunziza would stand for a third term. He won elections in July.