There are indications that top military personnel who launched the coup in the central African nation earlier in the week have been arrested and others have been forced on the run by loyalist troops even as the United States issued Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza a stern warning against running for a third term.
General Godefroid Niyombare, who led the coup was reported to have offered to give himself up.
The dramatic end to the coup attempt ended 48 hours of uncertainty over who controlled the small, landlocked and impoverished nation, which has been gripped by a political crisis over Nkurunziza’s controversial bid to run again for the presidency.
But the US said that such move for third term would exacerbate the country’s instability and threaten international aid, adding there was potential for further violence after Nkurunziza returned to the country.
According to Jeff Rathke, a State Department spokesman: “The US position is that President Nkurunziza should not stand for a third term.”
The president’s decision to run “has and will continue to exacerbate instability in the country,” Rathke warned, only a day after he had stressed that Washington still regarded Nkurunziza as the legitimate president.
“This threatens the viability of the Burundian government, and it increases the risk of violence and instability that can threaten donor support.”
Rathke renewed calls on all sides to exercise restraint, after the State Department late Thursday ordered the families of all US government staff to leave the country.
Amid continuing uncertainty, the US embassy was closed today even as Rathke warned anyone thinking of any revenge attacks that “the world is watching and that they should be held accountable.”
Washington could slap visa bans on anyone seen as responsible for such violence. [myad]
