Man burned alive in Burundi as political crisis intensifies

Protesters burned a man alive in Burundi’s capital yesterday, saying he was a member of the ruling party’s youth wing which had attacked them during their rallies against the president’s bid for a third term, a witness said.

Tensions have been building for almost two weeks on Bujumbura’s streets between protesters and police using tear gas, water cannon and, demonstrators say, live rounds. The police deny this.

The violence has plunged the African nation into its worst crisis since the end of an ethnically charged civil war in 2005, raising fears of fresh bloodshed.

The chairwoman of the African Union bloc’s commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, joined government opponents yesterday in saying the situation had deteriorated so far that the June 26th presidential election should be postponed. “Until there is peace in Burundi, we can’t go for elections,” she said on Twitter. President Pierre Nkurunziza’s spokesman said that was unnecessary as most of the country was calm.

Protesters said the victim of the burning was a member of the Imbonerakure youth wing of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, which they say has attacked them. – (Reuters)