A man speaks with soldiers during a protest against Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza and his bid for a third term in Bujumbura, Burundi, May 22, 2015 (Photo: Reuters)
Thousands of 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.
Protesters also torched election materials in two separate attacks south of the capital, electoral commission spokesman Prosper Ntahorwmiye said, destroying voting booths and ballot boxes. "Everything was burned," Ntahorwmiye said.
At least two protesters were shot dead and eight wounded in clashes on Thursday with police, the latest victims of the unrest in which more than 20 people have died, triggered by President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term.
The crisis, which began in late April after the ruling party nominated Nkurunziza to stand again in the June 26 presidential election, deepened last week when a top general staged a failed coup attempt.
Parliamentary polls, initially set for May 26, have been postponed to June 5.
Nkurunziza said in an address to the nation late Wednesday that most of the central African country was secure and that upcoming parliamentary and presidential votes would be peaceful.
But on Friday morning, protesters shouted and blew whistles to try to encourage others to come out onto the streets. By late afternoon, thousands had answered the call. Some looted a beer truck as they celebrated, despite gunfire from police.
"And the government says there is no demonstration in Bujumbura!" said Adolphe, 46, a civil engineer and local resident.
But protesters also announced a two-day weekend truce "to allow the people to bury with dignity those who died for democracy," civil society leader Pacifique Nininahazwe said, but adding a warning that "protests will resume on Monday with even more force."
Nininahazwe said that talks between the protesters, opposition parties and government had been taking place this week.
"We ask the government to show good faith by refraining to shoot protesters," Nininahazwe added. "On our part, we promise a completely peaceful demonstration. If they continue to shoot, we will end the dialogue process."
Opposition and rights groups say that Nkurunziza's bid for a third five-year term violates the constitution and the terms of a peace deal that ended a 13-year civil war in 2006.
Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader and born-again Christian who believes he has divine backing to lead the country, argues that his first term did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people.
More than 110,000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring countries, according to the United Nations, with the UN refugee agency warning Friday that the number could double within the next six months.
Cholera has broken out in squalid refugee camps in Tanzania, with at least 31 people having died and over 3,000 cases in total with numbers growing by up to 400 cases a day.
"We are expecting things to unfortunately get worse," UNHCR's chief medical expert Paul Spiegler told reporters in Geneva.
Nkurunziza has urged the refugees to "come back home", assuring them they face no security threat.
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