Thursday, May 14, 2015

UPDATES: Uhuru out for Burundi talks; Bujumbura rocked by coup



Burundi's president interviewed

Burundi's national radio broadcaster RTBN interviewed President Pierre Nkrunziza by phone at midday local time (10:00 GMT).

Fighting has since erupted around the broadcaster's offices.

A general supporting the coup told the AFP news agency that the main units fighting to oust the president "have just received the order to take RTNB, and this should be done quickly because we have the means".

AFPThere were scenes of celebration in the capital on Wednesday

Commercial flights 'soon' in Bujumbrua

The international airport in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, is getting back to work, says Emmanuel Habimana, the head of the airport authority.

Mr Habimnana told the BBC: "The technical personnel are working, but because of the ongoing tension, most non-essential personnel are not yet at work.

"But the airport is operational and they are working to get commercial flights working soon."

Burundi private stations 'off air'

The Burundian private radio station Isanganiro says it has been taken off air along with other private broadcasters. The station was one of those that broadcast the coup announcement on Wednesday.


Isanganiro

On its website it says (in French): "Danger: All the most listened to private radio stations in Burundi: Isanganiro, Bonesha, RPA and Renaissance are now shut. Only pro-government national radio continues to broadcast."

Burundi's 'youth militia'

There are suspicions that the youth wing of Burundi's ruling party has been involved in attacks on private radio stations in the capital.

Known as Imbonerakure, some believe it has been turned into a militia and may have been given weapons with the intention of intimidating people ahead of elections.

There are also allegations that some of its members have received military training by Burundian officers over the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo - denied by the ruling CNDD-FDD.

Some Burundians who have recently fled to neighbouring countries say they received threats from Imbonerakure members, who tend to turn up to official functions these days in uniforms - fatigue trousers with party T-shirts.


AFPSome Burundian refugees say they are fleeing threats from the youth wing


Heavy fighting and shelling can be heard near the state-run national broadcaster RNTB in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura.

Loyalists and supporters of the coup are fighting for control.


Bujumbura airport 'reopens'

A BBC reporter in the Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, says the international airport has reopened.

The commander of the airport said a Somali cargo plane recently took off. This would confirm that the airport is in the hands of loyalist soldiers, our reporter says.


Uncertainty in Bujumbura

Bujumbura is quiet at the moment apart from some "sporadic gunfire", a charity worker Simon Guillebaud told the BBC's Outside Source programme.

"People are keeping off the streets... and people haven't got a clue about what's going to happen next," he said.


Loyalists 'in control' of Bujumbura

I have just seen policemen with grenade launchers pointed at the Isanganiro private radio station, which broadcast Wednesday's coup announcement by Maj Gen Godefroid Niyombare.

The streets of Bujumbura now seem mainly under the control of loyalist policemen.


Crucial fight for Burundi media

The divisions in Burundi's army over the coup attempt do not appear to be along ethnic lines - both the army chief of staff, who is loyal to the president, and the general who announced the coup are Hutus.

The factions appear to be between those who believe the president violated the peace accord that ended the civil war by running for a third term and those who remain loyal to him.

The reason there has been so much fighting for control of state-run RTNB broadcaster is because it was the only one still broadcasting to the whole country last night when people outside Bujumbura may not have known about the coup attempt in the capital.

Some private radio were able to broadcast for several hours this morning.


ReutersRival groups became part of the army after the end of the civil war, which officially ended in 2005


Burundi radio stations burnt


Eloge Willy Kaneza, a journalist at the Burundian private broadcaster Radio Bonesha, told me that his station and another private broadcaster African Public Radio (RPA) have been taken off air.

The office buildings were also set alight on Thursday morning.

He said his colleagues were given time to say goodbye to the audience and the signal was then switched off. All staff were made to leave the premises.

He added that this was done by military and policemen who would not say who gave them the order.


Loyalist forces 'have upper hand'


A military source has told BBC Afrique that loyalist forces in Burundi are now in control of Bujumbura's city centre, the airport, the presidential palace and the national radio and television stations.

AFPA photo of Bujumbura this morning - private media stations were amongst areas attacked overnight

Coup bid leader Maj Gen Godefroid Niyombare and his supporters are at the Camp Para-Commandos barracks, which houses many of the army's armoured vehicles and is home to elite paratroopers.

The brigade facing them is called the First Military Region, which control the provinces of Bujumbura, Cibitoke, Bubanza.

Protests against President Nkrunziza running for a third term have centred on the capital city.

The source said that more Hutus appear to be siding with the loyalists and Tutsi officers with Gen Niyombare, even though he is also a former rebel Hutu commander. Additionally, Defence Minister Pontien Gaciyubwenge - also an army general - is supporting the coup and is a Tutsi.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is currently chairman of the African Union and in the position he is expected to help facilitate a resolution of the security situation in Burundi.

This morning he is at a police passing out parade in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare:


BBC

Burundi 'on the precipice'


Regional expert Simon Adams told the BBC's Newsday programme that the Burundi coup bid poses more questions than it answers.

"Regardless of what happens there's a very sad and bloody history in Burundi of unconstitutional changes of government resulting in widespread political and ethnic violence... what's essential for the country now is to pull back from the precipice," the executive director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect said.


ReutersSome protesters are back on the streets today

"The last couple of weeks have shown how deep the divisions inside the country are and unfortunately even though this has been a political conflict and people have kept it very much on the political level the underlying ethnic tensions in Burundi are also very deep."

No comments:

TRENDING