Burundian Army battle dissident soldiers after army Chief of Staff announces failure of coup

Burundian Army battle dissident soldiers after army chief announces failure of coup

The Burundian Army has announced that the attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza  by a dissident army chief has failed. The army are currently mopping up the capital in search of the dissident soldiers.

Burundian Army chief of staff General Prime Niyongabo said in a radio broadcast that the attempted coup against President Nkurunziza, announced Wednesday by former intelligence chief General Godefroid Niyombare, had failed and that loyalist forces were “controlling all strategic points”.

However, a spokesman of the dissident  camp, Burundi’s police commissioner Venon Ndabaneze, told AFP the claim was false and that General Niyombare’s supporters were in control of several key facilities, including Bujumbura’s international airport.

Confusion is rife in Burundi Thursday as both sides claimed to be in control, while there were several reports of sporadic gunfire and loud explosions across the capital Bujumbura.

Heavy gunfire was reported as coming from the state television and radio complex, where military sources and witnesses told AFP troops loyal to the president were fighting off an attack.

Two private radio stations and a television station were attacked by unknown men in police uniforms, witnesses said.

It is believed that President Nkurunziza, is still in Tanzania, where he had travelled to discuss the crisis with East African leaders on Wednesday, before the attempted coup was announced.
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