Burundi Leaders

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned African leaders today of the need for action in troubled Burundi at a summit hoping to end armed crises across the continent.

African Union efforts to approve a peacekeeping force for troubled Burundi faced tough challenges as leaders met ahead of an unprecedented vote on the potential deployment of 5,000 troops.

UN Security Council ambassadors met Burundi's leaders on Friday to push peace efforts amid renewed violence in the capital of the troubled central African nation.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused Burundi's leaders of carrying out "massacres" on their people in his most critical speech yet of the crisis in the troubled neighbouring state.

Burundi's leading opposition politician called on President Pierre Nkurunziza to hold talks with rivals and form a national unity government after a disputed election, saying it could help avert a new conflict in the poor African nation.

The United States said Friday it was suspending assistance for Burundi's elections because of the leader of the African nation's "continued efforts to violate" a peace accord.

Leaders meet in Johannesburg today for an African Union summit which will be dominated by the political unrest in Burundi and the migration crisis in the continent.

East African leaders will meet in Tanzania tomorrow for a summit on the political crisis in Burundi, though experts said the other nations were unlikely to raise the key issue of presidential term limits.

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza's spokesman said he had returned to the capital on Friday after a failed coup but that the general behind it had not been arrested as he had reported earlier, adding to confusion after three days of turmoil.

An attempt to overthrow Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza ended in failure today as coup leaders admitted defeat and were arrested or forced to go on the run from loyalist troops.

Togo voted on Saturday in an election expected to give President Faure Gnassingbe a third term in office that could extend his family's grip on power to more than half a century.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned African leaders today of the need for action in troubled Burundi at a summit hoping to end armed crises across the continent.

African Union efforts to approve a peacekeeping force for troubled Burundi faced tough challenges as leaders met ahead of an unprecedented vote on the potential deployment of 5,000 troops.

UN Security Council ambassadors met Burundi's leaders on Friday to push peace efforts amid renewed violence in the capital of the troubled central African nation.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused Burundi's leaders of carrying out "massacres" on their people in his most critical speech yet of the crisis in the troubled neighbouring state.

Burundi's leading opposition politician called on President Pierre Nkurunziza to hold talks with rivals and form a national unity government after a disputed election, saying it could help avert a new conflict in the poor African nation.

The United States said Friday it was suspending assistance for Burundi's elections because of the leader of the African nation's "continued efforts to violate" a peace accord.

Leaders meet in Johannesburg today for an African Union summit which will be dominated by the political unrest in Burundi and the migration crisis in the continent.

East African leaders will meet in Tanzania tomorrow for a summit on the political crisis in Burundi, though experts said the other nations were unlikely to raise the key issue of presidential term limits.

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza's spokesman said he had returned to the capital on Friday after a failed coup but that the general behind it had not been arrested as he had reported earlier, adding to confusion after three days of turmoil.

An attempt to overthrow Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza ended in failure today as coup leaders admitted defeat and were arrested or forced to go on the run from loyalist troops.

Togo voted on Saturday in an election expected to give President Faure Gnassingbe a third term in office that could extend his family's grip on power to more than half a century.