A top Burundian general on Wednesday announced the overthrow of President Pierre Nkurunziza, following weeks of violent protests against his bid to stand for a third term.
The radio broadcast by General Godefroid Niyombare – who was sacked from his position as the central African nation’s powerful chief of intelligence in February – came hours after President Nkurunziza arrived in neighbouring Tanzania for talks to end the crisis.
“Regarding President Nkurunziza’s arrogance and defiance of the international community which advised him to respect the constitution and Arusha peace agreement, the committee for the establishment of the national concord decide: President Nkurunziza is dismissed, his government is dismissed too,” he said.
Niyombare said he was working with civil society groups, religious leaders and politicians to form a transitional government.
The presidential office quickly dismissed the declaration as “a joke”.
More than 20 people have been killed since street protests erupted in the impoverished central African state more than two weeks ago, according to an unofficial count by activists.
The demonstrators say Nkurunziza’s bid for another five years in office violates a two-term limit in the constitution and the Arusha peace deal, which ended an ethnically fuelled civil war in 2005 that killed 300,000 people.
Western donors, including the United States, have criticised Nkurunziza’s decision to stand again.
East African leaders and a top official from continental heavyweight South Africa were meeting in Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam to discuss the crisis that has already spilled over into a region with a history of ethnic conflict.
More than 50,000 people have fled to neighbouring states. The UN refugee agency UNHCR said the crisis was heading towards a “worst case scenario” that could see 300,000 people fleeing, some to other parts of Burundi and others abroad.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
The radio broadcast by General Godefroid Niyombare – who was sacked from his position as the central African nation’s powerful chief of intelligence in February – came hours after President Nkurunziza arrived in neighbouring Tanzania for talks to end the crisis.
“Regarding President Nkurunziza’s arrogance and defiance of the international community which advised him to respect the constitution and Arusha peace agreement, the committee for the establishment of the national concord decide: President Nkurunziza is dismissed, his government is dismissed too,” he said.
Niyombare said he was working with civil society groups, religious leaders and politicians to form a transitional government.
The presidential office quickly dismissed the declaration as “a joke”.
More than 20 people have been killed since street protests erupted in the impoverished central African state more than two weeks ago, according to an unofficial count by activists.
The demonstrators say Nkurunziza’s bid for another five years in office violates a two-term limit in the constitution and the Arusha peace deal, which ended an ethnically fuelled civil war in 2005 that killed 300,000 people.
Western donors, including the United States, have criticised Nkurunziza’s decision to stand again.
East African leaders and a top official from continental heavyweight South Africa were meeting in Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam to discuss the crisis that has already spilled over into a region with a history of ethnic conflict.
More than 50,000 people have fled to neighbouring states. The UN refugee agency UNHCR said the crisis was heading towards a “worst case scenario” that could see 300,000 people fleeing, some to other parts of Burundi and others abroad.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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