Some of the international community’s worst fears for Burundi begin to come to fruition on April 26 as police clashed with demonstrators protesting President Pierre Nkurunziza’s announcement that he will seek a third term in office.
At least six people were killed in the first two days of ongoing protests. On Monday the government shut down multiple radio stations and arrested a prominent civil society leader, Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa. Worryingly, there have also been reports that the militant youth wing of the ruling party, known as the Imbonerakure, were seen armed with clubs, ready to do battle with the protesters in certain neighborhoods around the city.
Those contesting the government so far have been primarily civil society and opposition political party supporters who see the president’s seeking a third term as an unlawful attempt to hold on to power while violently suppressing any dissenting voices.
These protests were a long time coming...