A policeman and civilian were killed in clashes hours before the start of Burundi’s presidential elections, already hit by opposition boycotts and protests over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term.
Blasts and gunfire echoed around the capital before polling stations opened on Tuesday in a nation grappling with its worst crisis since a civil war ended in 2005.
It has faced weeks of demonstrations, a failed coup and clashes between rebel soldiers and the army, Reuters says.
Opponents accuse Nkurunziza of violating the constitution by seeking another five years in office.
Western donors and African states, worried about tensions in a region with a history of ethnic conflict, urged Burundi to postpone the poll.
Nkurunziza cited a court ruling saying he can run again. The government said it had already delayed the vote as long as it could and promised a fair poll.
Voting began in rural areas and dozens queued to cast ballots in areas of Bujumbura that are strongholds of Nkurunziza supporters. But there were only trickles of voters in other districts of the capital and some polling stations stayed closed after the official 6am start.
Presidential adviser Willy Nyamitwe blamed opponents and those behind protests for overnight violence, saying a policeman and civilian were killed. “People do it to intimidate voters. They don’t want the voters to go to the polls,” he told Reuters.
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