Army chief: Burundi's coup attempt has failed

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza
(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Just a day after a Burundi army general announced senior army officers were "dismissing" the country's president, Burundi's army chief says the coup attempt has failed, as President Pierre Nkurunziza's forces "are still controlling all strategic points."

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Thursday that Nkurunziza is still Burundi's "legitimate" president. "There are competing claims to authority, but we recognize President Nkurunziza as the legitimate president," spokesperson Jeff Rathke said.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.