Army chief: Burundi's coup attempt has failed

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.

Since late April, Burundi has seen unrest and protests over Nkurunziza's intent to serve a third term as the country's president, which would violate Burundi's constitution. Nkurunziza returned to Burundi on Thursday after attending a conference in Tanzania on Wednesday.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up