Burundi Protesters

It started as street protests three months ago, with furious citizens demonstrating against Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza's now successful bid for a third term in power.

Burundi's national electoral commission dismissed weeks of violence today and said all was ready a day ahead of key polls in the central African nation that the UN warns should be postponed.

Opposition parties will boycott Burundi's elections in protest at the president's bid for a third term and on concerns that voting will not be fair, party officials said, escalating the nation's worst political crisis since a civil war ended in 2005.

At least 70 people have died in Burundi since clashes erupted between security forces and activists protesting against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term, a leading Burundian human rights group said.

Burundi's opposition has rejected proposals for a new election timetable after weeks of protests at President Pierre Nkurunziza's third-term bid, saying conditions for holding fair polls were not met.

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.

A demonstrator was shot dead and two others wounded in southern Burundi on Monday, a local official and witness said, in one of the first confirmed reports of civil unrest erupting outside the capital Bujumbura.

Attackers hurled twin grenades into a crowd in Burundi's capital late Friday, killing three people, the latest in almost month of deadly violence triggered by the president's bid for a third term.

Anti-government protesters in Burundi marched on the streets of the capital Bujumbura Friday, defying one of the heaviest pushes by police to end weeks of demonstrations.

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.

Protesters opposed to Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza took the streets of the capital Friday following the failure of a coup to oust him, an AFP reporter said.

Opponents of Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term bid today defied a government command to immediately end weeks of street protests, branding the order a "declaration of war".

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza filed his candidacy to run for a third term on Friday, saying elections will "go well" despite days of deadly protests at his controversial bid.

Several demonstrators in Burundi were wounded today as police opened fire at protesters who returned to the streets of the capital to contest a bid by President Pierre Nkurunziza to extend his rule.

Three people were killed on Friday in grenade attacks on police in Burundi where nearly 600 people have been arrested during protests and a clash sparked by the president's bid to stay in power.

It started as street protests three months ago, with furious citizens demonstrating against Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza's now successful bid for a third term in power.

Burundi's national electoral commission dismissed weeks of violence today and said all was ready a day ahead of key polls in the central African nation that the UN warns should be postponed.

Opposition parties will boycott Burundi's elections in protest at the president's bid for a third term and on concerns that voting will not be fair, party officials said, escalating the nation's worst political crisis since a civil war ended in 2005.

At least 70 people have died in Burundi since clashes erupted between security forces and activists protesting against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term, a leading Burundian human rights group said.

Burundi's opposition has rejected proposals for a new election timetable after weeks of protests at President Pierre Nkurunziza's third-term bid, saying conditions for holding fair polls were not met.

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.

A demonstrator was shot dead and two others wounded in southern Burundi on Monday, a local official and witness said, in one of the first confirmed reports of civil unrest erupting outside the capital Bujumbura.

Attackers hurled twin grenades into a crowd in Burundi's capital late Friday, killing three people, the latest in almost month of deadly violence triggered by the president's bid for a third term.

Anti-government protesters in Burundi marched on the streets of the capital Bujumbura Friday, defying one of the heaviest pushes by police to end weeks of demonstrations.

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.

Protesters opposed to Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza took the streets of the capital Friday following the failure of a coup to oust him, an AFP reporter said.

Opponents of Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term bid today defied a government command to immediately end weeks of street protests, branding the order a "declaration of war".

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza filed his candidacy to run for a third term on Friday, saying elections will "go well" despite days of deadly protests at his controversial bid.

Several demonstrators in Burundi were wounded today as police opened fire at protesters who returned to the streets of the capital to contest a bid by President Pierre Nkurunziza to extend his rule.

Three people were killed on Friday in grenade attacks on police in Burundi where nearly 600 people have been arrested during protests and a clash sparked by the president's bid to stay in power.