Thousands of Refugees From Burundi Flee to Rwanda as Crisis Mounts

Thousands of refugees have fled Burundi for Rwanda in recent weeks, as unrest mounts in the country over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s run for a third term. According to the World Food Programme, there are currently more than 25,000 refugees from Burundi in Rwanda at camps like the one pictured in this footage – Mahama, which did not exist just two weeks ago.

Burundi’s constitutional court ruled on May 5 that President Pierre Nkurunziza could run for a third term, despite the constitution’s current framework that presidents can only be elected to two terms in office.

The announcement has triggered a fresh wave of protests in the country, which has experienced mounting clashes in recent weeks between demonstrators and police using water cannon, tear gas, and live rounds, though the police deny these aggressions, which have been reported by local media. Violence spiked on May 7 with reports that protesters burned a man alive in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura, according to Reuters. Credit: World Food Programme