Battle for Burundi

By Johan Persson – After almost two years of insecurity and unrest, many fear that Burundi is dangerously close to a new civil war. The current crisis began early 2015. Heavy protests against president Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term rocked Burundi’s capital Bujumbura. After a failed coup attempt in May, all open opposition was crushed and street protests stopped. Journalists and activists went underground. That’s when a new phase begun. At the end of 2015 explosions and gunshots could be heard every night in parts of Bujumbura. Dead bodies were found in rivers and on the streets almost daily. Young men from the protest quarters had begun arming themselves and attacking the police. Since then, the security apparatus has tightened its grip. All forms of dissent gets crushed. Even school children have been jailed for insulting the president. Over 400 000 people have fled the country so far. Meanwhile, the government is becoming increasingly isolated, closing itself to the outside world.