Violence Flares in Burundi as Parties Start Election Campaigns
Violence Flares in Burundi as Parties Start Election Campaigns
Police in Burundi arrested scores of opposition supporters as a human rights group warned of escalating violence in the lead-up to a general election later this month.
The May 20 vote, which will mark the end of President Pierre Nkurunziza’s 15-year rule, is going ahead despite the East African country reporting 15 cases of Covid-19.
Campaigning that started on April 27 has been marred by clashes between supporters of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy, and the National Congress for Freedom, according to Sake Mathieu, the president of the Association for Human Rights and Community Development.
More than 70 supporters of the opposition party, including lawmaker Cathy Kezimana were arrested, it said in a statement.
Nkurunziza said intimidation and violence would not be tolerated and called on the police to uphold law and order.
One of the world’s poorest countries, Burundi has become increasingly isolated because of Nkurunziza’s heavy-handed suppression of protests that followed his push for a third term in 2015. Foreign observers won’t be allowed to monitor the vote that is being funded by the state and mandatory contributions from the population.
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