Bujumbura, Burundi - An attempt to overthrow Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza ended in failure on Friday as coup leaders admitted defeat and were arrested or forced to go on the run from loyalist troops.
General Godefroid Niyombare, who launched the coup in the central African nation earlier in the week, told AFP by telephone that he wanted to give himself up, while other top generals were arrested.
The dramatic end to the coup attempt ended 48 hours of uncertainty over who controlled the small, landlocked and impoverished nation, which has been gripped by a political crisis over Nkurunziza's controversial bid to stand for a third consecutive term in office.
Tensions have not ended, however, with anti-Nkurunziza demonstrators returning to the streets and police firing shots to disperse them.
"We have decided to surrender," Niyombare said in a telephone interview, admitting his coup attempt had come to an end. "I hope they won't kill us."
A senior police official said Niyombare was still on the run, but that three other pro-coup generals had been detained. The loyalist police official also insisted those in detention were still alive, and that the state intended to put them on trial.
The coup leaders' spokesman, Zenon Ndabaneze, was speaking to AFP confirming that the putschists had decided to surrender when loyalist troops arrested him, deputy coup leader Cyrille Ndayirukiye and another senior figure among the mutineers.
"We decided to give ourselves up. We have laid down our arms. We have called the security ministry to tell them we no longer have any arms," Ndabaneze said, seconds before he could be heard being arrested.
"There will be no foul play. We won't kill them, we want to keep them so they can be judged," the police official told AFP after the arrests.
AFP
