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Post-election crisis escalates in Burundi

Arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and hate speeches have generated fears of mass violence.

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The deployment of police and the army on the streets of the capital Bujumbura has intensified the situation. [Al Jazeera]
Published On 11 Nov 2015

Bujumbura, Burundi – Turmoil continues to grip Burundi more than six months after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a controversial third term.

Gunfire and grenades can be heard almost every night, and in the morning, bodies are often discovered on the streets.

About 200 people have been killed since April, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and speeches of hate from political leaders have generated fears of mass violence – and the threat of a return to civil war.

Nkurunziza ordered people to surrender their weapons on Sunday or be considered members of an armed resistance. Hundreds of residents have fled their neighbourhoods in anticipation of the raids by security forces.

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Gide, 36, lives in Nyakabiga, a neighbourhood of Bujumbura. He says he was shot three times in the legs by police on October 28, as a consequence of his political actions. [Al Jazeera]
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A mutilated body - the heart was removed - is found next to a burned-out car on the streets of Mutakura. [Al Jazeera]
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The rise of violence since the protests began in April threatens a return to civil war in Burundi. [Al Jazeera]
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A police officer who refused to collaborate with the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling party, in fighting opponents of President Nkurunziza's third term. After being sent to a quiet office position in the countryside as 'punishment', he is now back in Bujumbura where he has been completely demobilised. He said he fears for his personal safety and keeps moving around constantly to not be found. [Al Jazeera]
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A relative of a police officer who was killed a few days after the protests began in April. She says her family member refused to repress the opposition as ordered, and was later killed under mysterious circumstances. She still receives threats and is scared for her children's safety. She said she wishes she could flee the country. [Al Jazeera]
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A house taken down by a rocket in Mutakura, north of Bujumbura, on July 1. Six people died in the attack. [Al Jazeera]
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In Mutakura, people are scratching out their house numbers to make identification more difficult. Residents claim the Imbonerakure youth militia is collaborating with the national intelligence service and police to locate opposition figures. [Al Jazeera]
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About 70 percent of students have returned to Cibitoke high school, after they walked out to protest the disappearance of a fellow pupil. The young man remains missing. [Al Jazeera]
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Calm during daylight hours misrepresents the underlying fear of mysterious killings that take place at night. [Al Jazeera]
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The headquarters of Tele Renaissance in central Bujumbura. Private media sources have been shut down since an attempted coup on May 13. [Al Jazeera]
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The mother of a young man who recently disappeared after a bus attack. She remains without any news of her son's whereabouts. 'They keep killing unarmed children,' she says. [Al Jazeera]
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A funeral service was held for an activist group leader killed during the protests against a third term for Nkurunziza. An estimated 200 people have been killed in Burundi since April. [Al Jazeera]
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A burned car and a body in the streets of Mutakura. In the morning, residents routinely discover corpses and damage from the previous night. [Al Jazeera]
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In Mutakura, more and more residents are moving out and fleeing to safer parts of the city. House searches, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings have created a culture of fear. [Al Jazeera]