Army officer seizes power in Burundi

A Burundi Army officer, Major-General Godefroid Niyombare, announced on Wednesday in Bujumbura that he had seized power from Pierre Nkurunziza as President.
He said the coup was as a result of Nkurunziza seeking an unconstitutional third term in office.
“Regarding President Nkurunziza’s arrogance and defiance of the international community which advised him to respect the constitution and Arusha peace agreement, the Committee for the Establishment of the National Concord decides that President Nkurunziza is dismissed, his government is dismissed too,’’ he said.
He said he was working with civil society groups to form a transitional government.
Nkurunziza was out of the country at an African summit in Tanzania.
Niyombare, also a former ambassador to Kenya, was surrounded by several other senior officers in the army and police, including a former defence minister.
Meanwhile, the presidential office has rubbished the declaration by Niyombare.
Willy Niyamitwe, Presidential Aide, said Niyombare was fired by Nkurunziza as intelligence chief in February.
“We consider it as a joke, not as a military coup,’’ he said.
Report from Bujumbura said crowds of people, streamed onto the streets cheering and singing, after the announcement and soldiers surrounded the state broadcaster building.
They say Nkurunziza’s bid for another five years in office, violates a two-term limit in the constitution and the Arusha peace deal, which ended an ethnically-fuelled civil war in 2005 that killed 300,000 people.
They said more than 20 people have been killed, since street protests erupted in the country.