Burundi has been rocked by protest over president’s 3rd term bid

KAMPALA – The UN has asked Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in Burundi’s ongoing political crisis, according to the presidency.

“UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to help avert the deteriorating situation in Burundi and restore peace,” State House announced in a Tuesday statement.

It was not immediately clear whether Museveni had agreed to the request, and, if so, what role – if any – he would play in the crisis.

Burundi has been rocked by protest since late April, when the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) named incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza – in power since 2005 – its candidate for June presidential polls.

At least 13 people, including two policemen, have been killed – and at least 100 injured – since protests erupted in late April.

Around 400 people have also been jailed since the protests broke out, according to figures given by the Burundian authorities.

The UNHCR has also reported that over 30,000 people have fled the violence to neighboring countries, especially Rwanda.

Earlier Tuesday, Burundi’s Constitutional Court ruled that Nkurunziza’s bid for a third presidential term did not violate the constitution.

While Burundi’s national charter states that the president can serve only two terms, the court concluded that, since Nkurunziza was elected in 2005 by parliament and not by the people, his first stint in office should not be counted as a first presidential term.

Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader, has been in power since 2005, when he was appointed by parliament following a peace deal that ended a 12-year civil war.

He won 2010 presidential polls after the country’s main opposition parties boycotted the vote over concerns that it would be rigged in Nkurunziza’s favor.