East African Community chair and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete speaks at the extra-ordinary summit on Wednesday. Photo: Daniel Hayduk
The East African Community (EAC) on Wednesday condemned the violence and coup in Burundi during an extra-ordinary summit in Dar es Salaam.
“The summit condemns the violence and calls on all the parties to make sure the violence stops” says Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and EAC chair who also condemned the coup and added that the current situation is “not conducive to elections.”
As Heads of State met at the State House, conflicting reports on Burundi coup continued to pour in on social media.
Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza was in Dar es Salaam for the summit, but did not attend the meeting as whispers of a coup attempt spread throughout the summit.
Burundi presidential spokesman Willy Nyamitwe maintained that Nkurunziza was still in charge and was heading back home where he was scheduled to address the nation.
However Radio Bonesha in the capital reported that President Nkurunziza was headed to Uganda as he could not land in Bujumbura.
#Burundi situation overnight: gunfire between army factions in capital, radio stations destroyed, borders shut. #BurundiCoup #BurundiCrisis
— Dar Post (@DarPostNews) May 14, 2015
Senior government official confirms to BBC that #Nkurunziza is in #Tanzania.
— Dar Post (@DarPostNews) May 13, 2015
Earlier on Wednesday, top Burundi military general Godefroid Niyombare announced in the public broadcast that President Nkurunziza has been deposed and that “a national salvation committee has been set up to run the country”
Niyombare was in February dismissed as intelligence chief, three months after his appointment and days after he advised against Nkurunziza’s third-term bid.
Speaking on behalf of the summit, Kikwete says the EAC will re-convene in the coming weeks to assess the situation further.
