Crowds Celebrate Burundi Coup Announcement in Streets of Bujumbura

Heavy clashes between rival factions were reported throughout the day in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura, on May 14. The day before, crowds, as shown here, celebrated the announcement of a military coup, after Major General Godefroid Niyombare said in a radio broadcast that he had ousted President Pierre Nkurunziza. The presidency originally denied the coup, then issued a statement on Facebook declaring that it had been thwarted.The announcement came after weeks of deadly protests in Burundi, sparked by Nkurunziza’s bid for what has been widely condemned as an “unconsitutional” third term in office. Credit: YouTube/Pádraic MacOireachtaigh