Burundi Rivals Talk in Bid to End Political Violence

Government and opposition rivals are meeting in Burundi Friday seeking a deal after days of deadly demonstrations against a third term bid by the president, as international pressure mounts to end the crisis.

At least 18 people have been killed, including protesters and police, and scores wounded since late April, when the ruling CNDD-FDD nominated President Pierre Nkurunziza to stand for reelection, triggering daily protests.

Sources said the opposition were pushing for a potential delay of the polls, after African Union Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma warned on Thursday the time was not right for elections.

Opposition parties and civil society groups say Nkurunziza's third-term bid violates both the constitution, which limits a president to two terms in office, and the accords that ended a 13-year civil war between Tutsis and Hutus in 2006.

Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to withdraw from the June 26 election.

But the constitutional court has found in favor of Nkurunziza, saying his first presidential term did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people.

The court's vice-president, however, fled the country after refusing to sign the judgment, claiming judges had been subjected to death threats.

The United Nations special envoy for the Great Lakes region, Said Djinnit, appealed late Thursday for calm, after holding crisis talks in the capital Bujumbura in a bid to help strike a deal.

"It is with great concern that we note a rise in violations of human rights and acts of violence, some resulting in death including of children, and many more injured and arrested," Djinnit said.

"I would like to appeal for the immediate cessation of all acts of violence -- wherever it comes from."

Civil society leaders were skeptical a deal would be struck any time soon, saying the only deal offered was to end demonstrations.

"The only thing we agree on is a delay to the electoral calendar," one civil society leader said, asking not be named.

East African leaders are to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis on May 13 in Tanzania.

But civil society activists were clear the issue of the third term was for the people of Burundi to decide, and "not the heads of state of the region."

Protesters have defied repeated calls to end demonstrations after almost two weeks of running battles in which over a dozen people have been killed, including police.

The streets of the capital were far quieter Friday amid torrential rains, but an opposition leader said that protests would continue.

"Our only leverage is on the street... if we agree to withdraw, you have lost everything," he said.

Nkurunziza, in a televised speech on Wednesday, said that holding an election was "the only solution" to the crisis triggered by his bid to prolong his 10-year tenure.

Over 35,000 Burundians have fled the country in recent weeks, mostly to Rwanda, and the U.N.'s refugee agency chief Antonio Guterres has said he is "extremely worried" by the situation.

"Everything must be done to avoid any escalation that could undermine peace and stability of the country," Djinnit added.

"The perpetrators and instigators of acts of violence will have to answer personally before national and international courts."