Burundi’s capital was reportedly quiet yesterday night after a tumultuous day in which thousands of people got into celebration mood after an attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza, who was in neighboring Tanzania for a summit meeting on the troubles his country is currently facing, Fox News reports.
Nkurunziza’s office have since taken to the president’s Twitter and Facebook accounts to declare that the attempt coup was unsuccessful, posting the statement below:
“A group of soldiers mutinied this morning and made a fantasy declaration of a coup d’etat,” said the statement. “This attempted coup was foiled and these people … are sought by defense and security forces so they are brought to justice.”
But, as of now, it’s not clear where the president was on Wednesday night, as no one knows. According to reports, Nkurunziza did not return to Bujumbura and landed at Uganda’s Entebbe airport, a top Ugandan official who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press said.
Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term as president had sparked street protests in the capital, which left at least 15 people dead.