On 25 April 2015, the ruling political party in Burundi, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), announced that the incumbent President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the 2015 presidential election. The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza seeking a third term in office.
Widespread demonstrations in the then-capital, Bujumbura, lasted for over three weeks. During that time the country's highest court approved Nkurunziza's right to run for a third term in office despite the fact that at least one of the court's judges fled the country claiming he had received death threats from members of the government. As a result of the protests the government also shut down the country's internet and telephone network, closed all of the country's universities and government officials publicly referred to the protesters as "terrorists". In April, tens of thousands of people fled the country, hundreds of people were arrested and several protesters and police officers were killed while dozens more were injured.
On 13 May 2015, a coup was announced, led by Major General Godefroid Niyombare, while President Nkurunziza was in Tanzania attending an emergency conference about the situation in the country. By the next day the coup collapsed and government forces reasserted control. On 11 December, almost 90 people were killed in attacks on state targets.
Background
The Burundian Civil War lasted from 1993 to 2005, and an estimated 300,000 people were killed. The conflict ended with a peace process that brought in the 2005 constitution providing guaranteed representation for both Hutu and Tutsi, and parliamentary elections that led to Pierre Nkurunziza, from the Hutu FDD, becoming president.
Since 2005, poverty has remained a major problem. According to the World Bank, over 60% of Burundians do not have enough food. The country's government does not have enough money to fund needed programs and the economy is reliant on coffee exports whose price has fluctuated radically in recent years and made long-term financial planning nearly impossible.
Constitutionality of a third term
On 4 May 2015, the Vice-President of the Constitutional Court fled the country following alleged death threats from senior figures in the government. The judge claimed that most of the seven judges on the country's highest court believed it would be unconstitutional for Nkurunziza to be elected again. United States Secretary of State John Kerry also stated on 4 May that Nkurunziza's nomination "flies directly in the face of the constitution."
Following the departures of four of the seven judges who sit on Burundi's constitutional court (including the Vice-President), the remaining judges approved Nkurunziza's right to run for a third term in office. Members of the opposition described the court's ruling as "manipulated."
Critics of the president say his actions jeopardise a peace deal that has kept ethnic tensions in check since the Burundian Civil War ended in 2005 and that Nkurunziza is not constitutionally permitted to seek a third term in office; his supporters argue that his first 5-year term should not count because he was elected by a parliamentary vote rather than a popular vote.
Protests and uprising
First week of protests
On 25 April 2015, the ruling CNDD-FDD announced that Nkurunziza would run for a third term in the 26 June 2015 presidential election. The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza and those who claimed a third term would be a violation of the country's constitution which says no President can be elected more than twice.
In the then-capital Bujumbura, protesters cut down trees to blockade roads. On 30 April, after days of protests, President Nkurunziza met with an American diplomat and told him that the protests were illegal.
On 1 May, a grenade attack took place in Bujumbura and killed three people, including two policemen, and human rights organizations said that protesters had been beaten and arrested. On the same day, a speech by President Nkurunziza was broadcast, in which he stated that the protests were illegal, and a committee would be established and submit its findings before the June election, so that "severe sanctions will be taken against those who will be found guilty" of illegal activities.
On 2 May, Security Minister, General Gabriel Nizigama said the protests were an "uprising" and that the demonstrators would be regarded as "criminals, terrorists and even enemies of the country".
The International Red Cross says at least six people were killed in the demonstrations, and Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that over 400 protesters were detained, and some were beaten in prison.
Second week of protests
Protests resumed on 4 May after a two-day suspension called for by protest leaders. Protests began peacefully but at least two protesters were shot and killed by police after stones were thrown at police.
Attempted coup d'état
On 13 May 2015, Major General Godefroid Niyombare declared a coup d'état, announcing on radio that "Nkurunziza is dismissed, his government is dismissed too," while President Nkurunziza was in Tanzania attending an emergency conference about the situation in the country. Niyombare, a former army chief of staff and head of intelligence, announced the coup along with senior officers in the army and police, including a former defense minister. After the announcement, crowds stormed into the streets of the then-capital in celebration and soldiers were seen guarding the state broadcaster's headquarters.
Nkurunziza attempted to fly back to Burundi, but his plane was reportedly turned back to Tanzania. AFP reported that rebel soldiers had seized control of Bujumbura International Airport. Nevertheless, the head of the armed forces, Prime Niyongabo, declared from the RTNB state radio complex during the night of 13–14 May that the coup attempt had been defeated, and he called on rebel soldiers to surrender. Loyalist forces remained in control of the state radio and presidential palace. Shortly thereafter, AFP reported heavy fighting around the RTNB state radio complex as it was attacked by rebel soldiers. In the wake of the fighting, the station remained in loyalist hands.
Reuters reported that a journalist at the state broadcaster said there was "heavy gunfire" around the station in the then-capital. Reuters also heard from witnesses that two private radio stations that broadcast Niyombare's announcement had been attacked by men in police uniforms. Radio Publique Africaine was set ablaze. Five soldiers were reported killed in clashes that the government said retook control of the sites.
African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma stated that she "condemns in the strongest terms today's coup attempt" and called for a "return to constitutional order and urges all stakeholders to exercise utmost restraint." Nkurunziza thanked loyal soldiers who he said were "putting things in order" and said that rebel soldiers would be forgiven if they surrendered.
In the hours that followed the failed attacks on the state broadcaster, the coup appeared to begin collapsing. Later in the day on 14 May, Nkurunziza announced that he had returned to Burundi, although his specific location was not given for security reasons. He congratulated "the army and the police for their patriotism" and "above all the Burundian people for their patience". One of the coup leaders, General Cyrille Ndayirukiye, said that "our movement has failed" because of "overpowering military determination to support the system in power". He also suggested that soldiers backing the coup would not continue fighting, saying the coup leaders "don't want to be responsible for leading those who have followed us to their deaths."
Early on 15 May, Niyombare said that he and the other coup leaders had decided to surrender to government forces. Meanwhile, Nkurunziza returned to Bujumbura. Speaking on state radio later in the day, he said that there was "peace in the whole country" and vowed that anyone trying to stir up unrest would fail. The government also disclosed that Niyombare was still at large, contradicting an earlier statement that he had been captured.
On 16 May, eighteen people including former defence minister General Cyrille Ndayirukiye and police commissioners Zenon Ndabaneze and Hermenegilde Nimenya, appeared in court. Relatives claim that they had been beaten while in custody.
On 18 May President Nkurunziza dismissed three ministers from his cabinet: Minister of National Defence Pontien Gaciyubwenge, Foreign Minister Laurent Kavakure and Trade Minister Marie-Rose Nizigiyimana.
Pre-election violence
After the attempted coup, heavily armed soldiers were deployed in Bujumbura. Nkurunziza decided to delay the parliamentary election, but not the presidential election, by 10 days after a recommendation by the election commission. One soldier was reportedly killed by police gunfire on 20 May 2015. Also on 20 May, Nkurunziza spoke about the dangers of ethnically based unrest and violence, recalling the dark days of the civil war and warning against a return to the "tensions of ethnic division". On May 23, three people were killed and 21 wounded when grenades were thrown in a market in Bujumbura.
Zedi Feruzi, the leader of a small opposition party, the Union for Peace and Development, was shot and killed along with his bodyguard in Bujumbura on 23 May 2015. Opposition parties broke off negotiations with the government after his death.
On 25 June 2015, Second Vice-President Gervais Rufyikiri, a member of the CNDD-FDD, left the country and went into exile in Belgium, declaring that Nkurunziza's candidacy was unconstitutional and that, by running, Nkurunziza was putting his own interests ahead of the nation's interests. He said that Nkurunziza was "deaf" to ignore all the voices calling on him not to run. The government welcomed Rufyikiri's departure and alleged that he was involved in the failed coup attempt. Meanwhile, Burundian students crawled under the gates of the US embassy parking lot, which is diplomatically protected.
Opposition groups announced on 26 June that they would boycott the election. On 27 June, "a group of unidentified young people" set fire to a building in Ntega district where ballot boxes and voting booths were being kept, destroying some of them. There were also two grenade attacks in Bujumbura, but there were no injuries.
Pie Ntavyohanyuma, the President of the National Assembly, fled to Belgium on 28 June 2015, citing the unrest and his opposition to Nkurunziza's third term bid. He said that when he told Nkurunziza that he should not run, "his answer was to threaten me, to humiliate me."
Speaking to a Kenyan television station on 6 July, one of the coup leaders, General Leonard Ngendakumana, called for armed rebellion against Nkurunziza. He said that his group was responsible for the grenade attacks and said that "our intent is to intensify". Fighting was reported in northern Burundi on 10–11 July. The military said on 13 July that 31 rebels had been killed and 170 had been captured in those battles; it said that six of its own soldiers had also been wounded. The Burundian government stated that the rebels had crossed into northern Burundi through the Nyungwe Forest from Rwanda but the Rwandan government denied this. Ngendakumana said that the rebels were from his group.
Post-election violence
Shortly after the election was held on 21 July 2015, without the participation of the opposition, main opposition leader Agathon Rwasa proposed the formation of a national unity government, while warning of the potential for more violence and armed rebellion against Nkurunziza. As conditions for participating in such a government, Rwasa said that Nkurunziza's third term would need to be greatly truncated to no more than a year and new elections would have to be held, although he admitted that he doubted Nkurunziza would accept those conditions. He also urged those hoping to oust Nkurunziza through violence to instead focus on dialogue. The government welcomed the idea of forming a national unity government, but rejected the notion of truncating Nkurunziza's new term.
General Adolphe Nshimirimana, the chief of presidential security, was assassinated in his car by gunmen in Bujumbura on 2 August 2015. Nshimirimana, who was killed along with three bodyguards, was considered a key ally of President Nkurunziza and described as his "right-hand man". He was said to have been heavily involved in countering protests against Nkurunziza and defeating the coup attempt, and he was accused by some of organizing murders of government opponents. A reporter who went to the location of the attack, Agence France-Presse correspondent Esdras Ndikumana, was arrested and allegedly beaten. He was released after two hours and was treated at a hospital for his injuries. On August 4, Nkurunziza ordered the police to apprehend Nshimirimana's assailants.
Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, a prominent human rights activist and opponent of Nkurunziza, was shot in Bujumbura on 3 August and "very badly wounded". On 9 August, he was transported to a hospital in Belgium for treatment.