LONE joggers have become a common sight on the cobbled streets of Bujumbura, Burundi’s charming capital on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Running in groups used to be a popular weekend pastime, but the government has become increasingly allergic to public gatherings, so it is wiser to trot along alone. An attempt on March 8th by the opposition Movement for Solidarity and Democracy to stage a rally in the capital led to violent clashes with the police; 21 of the party’s activists arrested that day have since been jailed for life for “insurrection”. The party has been suspended, its headquarters placed under police guard. Its leader, a lively former radio journalist, Alexis Sinduhije, has fled, and a warrant put out for his arrest.The tension stems mainly from the desire of Pierre Nkurunziza (pictured), Burundi’s president since 2005, to run for a third term in elections next year. The constitution allows for only two terms, so he is pressing parliament to change it. But the ruling party, the National Council for the Defence of Democracy, has so far failed to get a single parliamentarian from another party to back an amendment.Unbowed, Mr Nkurunziza will now...
From The Economist: Middle East and Africa
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