Thursday, May 14, 2015

Burundi coup bid: Rivals battle to control Bujumbura

Burundian presidential spokesman Willy Nyamitwe confirmed to the BBC that the president had left Tanzania and was "safe and sound".

Heavy fighting is reported in Burundi's capital between pro-government troops and soldiers backing an attempted coup.

Both sides say they are in control of large parts of Bujumbura. At least five soldiers have been killed.
Clashes briefly halted broadcasts at the state radio building, which is still in the hands of soldiers supporting President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Unrest began on 26 April when he said he was seeking a third term. His whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
The coup was launched by Maj Gen Godefroid Niyombare on Wednesday after Mr Nkurunziza travelled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city, to attend a summit on the crisis in Burundi.

Reports late on Wednesday said the president had tried to fly back to Burundi but was forced to return to Tanzania as he could not land.

However, a Tanzanian government spokesman said on Thursday that Mr Nkurunziza flew out on Wednesday and did not return.

Burundian presidential spokesman Willy Nyamitwe confirmed to the BBC that the president had left Tanzania and was "safe and sound".

However, he said that for security reasons he could not confirm or deny whether Mr Nkurunziza was in Burundi.

'We are being attacked'

On Thursday, a general supporting the coup told Agence France-Presse that troops had been ordered to take the loyalist-held state radio building with a full armoured assault.

The RTBN radio station had earlier broadcast a message from Mr Nkurunziza condemning the coup.
"I thank soldiers who are putting things in order, and I forgive any soldier who decides to surrender," he said.

But an employee there then told AFP news agency: "We are being attacked. It is very heavy. The transmitter has been cut. We cannot transmit."

But shortly afterwards the station resumed broadcasting.

"We had stopped transmitting during the attack. Now the fighting has stopped we can resume. It is still loyalist soldiers who are in control," station director Jerome Nzokirantevye said in a broadcast.

Control of the national broadcaster is key because it is the only outlet still broadcasting outside the capital, the BBC's Maud Jullien reports.

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