BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) – A police officer opened fire at protesters in Burundi’s capital Wednesday as demonstrations against the president’s bid for a third term heated up, with troops surrounding the national radio station.
The number of casualties, if any, is unknown. President Pierre Nkurunziza was in the neighboring country of Tanzania for a conference to end the unrest.
An Associated Press journalist was present when the police officer fired around five single shots at the protesters in Bujumbura.
Thousands of people were in the streets of Bujumbura in one of the largest turnouts in protests over Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term as presidents from East Africa arrived in neighboring Tanzania to discuss the political turmoil here.
Police also fired tear gas and water cannons to repulse protesters trying to enter the central business district of Bujumbura. A group of women protesters managed to infiltrate the police cordon and entered the central business district.
Nkurunziza has joined other East African Community leaders from Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam for a special meeting to discuss the turmoil in Burundi.
Protesters say Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term in June elections is illegal.
At least 15 people have been killed and more than 220 have been injured in the protests, which are now in their third week, according to Burundi’s Red Cross.
The latest violence comes as East African leaders meet in Tanzania to discuss Burundi. The top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has also traveled to Dar es Salaam to contribute to the emergency meeting, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.
Thomas-Greenfield will express U.S. concern about the situation in Burundi as well as U.S. support for the Arusha Agreement which ended Burundi’s civil war a decade ago and political dialogue among all parties to ensure peaceful, credible and inclusive elections in Burundi, the statement said.
The protests started on April 25 after the ruling party nominated Nkurunziza to run for re-election in elections set for June.
More than 50,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring countries fearing violence ahead of the elections, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Burundi’s Constitution states a president can be popularly elected to two five-year terms. Nkurunziza maintains he can run for a third term because parliament elected him for his first term, leaving him open to be popularly elected to two terms.