Uncertain times again in Burundi

In the midst of the protests, the president left Bujumbura the capital to attend a summit of regional leaders in Tanzania to discuss the crisis. It was at this time that a group of senior military officers, led by General Godefroid Niyombare, announced that it had seized control of the government and sacked Nkurunziza from […]

In the midst of the protests, the president left Bujumbura the capital to attend a summit of regional leaders in Tanzania to discuss the crisis. It was at this time that a group of senior military officers, led by General Godefroid Niyombare, announced that it had seized control of the government and sacked Nkurunziza from office.  Following the announcement, street protests quickly turned into wild jubilation as sections of the population welcomed the move.
General Niyombare said he had ordered the closure of the airport and border. The development forced Nkurunziza to leave Dare-es-Salaam early to return home; his plane unable to land in Bujumbura he headed back to Tanzania.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete issued a statement critical of the unfolding development in Burundi, and noted that it was the position adopted by leaders in attendance at the summit.
Meanwhile, the Presidency in Burundi, in a statement by an Nkurunziza loyalist, said that ‘it is with regret that we have learnt that a group from the armed forces mutinied this morning and declared an imaginary coup’.  It added that ‘this coup attempt has been foiled and these people who read the coup announcement on the radio are being hunted by defence and security forces so that they can be brought to justice’.
At the time, it all sounded like bluster, buying time while Nkurunziza mobilised his support base within the security services to neutralise the coup movement.  Indeed, General Niyambare asked residents to ignore the statement and go about their normal routines.
United Nations Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon called on all parties to exercise restraint.
With the collapse of the the coup and Nkurunziza’s return to the country, uncertainty still pervades the country.
Doctors have reported seeing soldiers and policemen going round hospitals where some injured security men had taken refuge and were receiving treatment, killing them at point blank range.
The government announced that about seven of the country’s senior military officers and a number of other rank soldiers were in custody for the part they played in the coup attempt. They would be put on trial, the government said.
Many opposition figures known to have welcomed the coup when it happened are reported to be in hiding, fearing for their lives.
The fallout from the coup attempt continued yesterday with President Nkurunziza announcing the dismissal from the cabinet of the Minister of Defence, Mr Pontian Gaciyubwenge, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Laurent Kavakure. Their replacements were announced at the same time.
Since his return, the president has not spoken directly about the failed attempt to unseat him. Instead, in a short address, he mentioned the Somali-based Al-Shabab group, saying it posed a threat to the region that must be contained.
Nkrunziza has come under tremendous pressure, both from the opposition at home and a growing chorus from abroad, for him to abandon his third term ambition. The president of Kenya, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, yesterday advised Mr Mkurunziza to postpone the elections, due next month, to allow tempers to calm in the country.
Mr Kkurunziza should put the long term interests of Burundi ahead of his personal ambition. What the coup attempt has demonstrated is that this terribly impoverished country needs stability more than ever to regain its balance after the brutal civil war that also involved Rwanda.
It is important the East African Community, of which Burundi is a member, reiterates that whether the elections are postponed or not, Mr Nkurunziza should not be a candidate in them whenever they are held.