Burundi president to be sworn in for 3rd term

Witnesses say four people were killed overnight in the Burundian capital of Bujumbura as violence persists following the controversial re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Nkurunziza took the “oath for a brand new time period of 5 years”, the presidency stated in a press release, in a shock ceremony on Thursday, introduced just a few hours prematurely.

The chairman of the National Council for the Restoration of the Arusha Agreement and Rule of Law Leonard Nyangoma had called on president Nkurunziza to step down before August 26th.

His third term has been condemned as unconstitutional by the opposition and provoked months of protests. There have been a series of killings since his reelection, including of a top general, killed in a rocket assault a month ago.

But the United Nations observer mission said the vote last month was not “inclusive free and credible” and was held “in an environment of profound mistrust” between political rivals.

Nkurunziza promised to better serve the country and work with the opposition. “We call upon all Burundian refugees to return to their homeland to participate in building their country”.

He was selected by Parliament in 2005 and elected in 2010.

At least 100 people have been killed since Mr Nkurunziza announced in April, he would run for a third term.

The United States supports the efforts of Uganda, on behalf of the East African Community, to mediate this dialogue and believes that continued attention and support from the African Union, United Nations, and all states in the region will be critical to help bring Burundi back from the precipice.

The army has been hugely divided by the crisis, with the leaders of the failed July coup having gone into hiding.