Four killed several wounded in Burundi grenade attacks

(MENAFN- Arab News) BUJUMBURA: Four people were killed and some 30 wounded in grenade attacks in Burundi a week ahead of key parliamentary elections as government and opposition on Monday traded blame for the blasts.
The troubled central African nation has been in crisis since late April over President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial bid to stand for a third consecutive five-year term a move branded by opponents as unconstitutional and a violation of a 2006 peace deal that ended 13 years of civil war.
Presidential communications chief Willy Nyamitwe blamed the opposition saying they wanted to replay the situation seen in elections in 2010 when they boycotted polls.
'This terror campaign has a similarity with what happened in the aftermath of 2010' he said blaming the attacks on 'politicians and civil society activists who promised the people that there will be no elections at all in 2015.'
Parliamentary elections are planned for June 29 ahead of the presidential vote on July 15. But the opposition rejected any involvement and condemned the attacks 'in the strongest terms' accusing the government of trying to 'exploit' the attacks to get rid of their opponents.
'Our movement is and will remain peaceful' said Jeremiah Minani spokesman of the coalition Arusha Movement which includes both opposition parties and civil society groups opposing Nkurunziza's third term.
'We think it could be a plot to sow terror and to blame that on his opponents in order to stop those who oppose the third term.'
The grenade blasts which took place overnight Sunday to Monday were the latest in a string of attacks. Overnight Friday 11 police officers were wounded in a series of explosions.
The most serious attack was in the northern town of Ngozi when a grenade was hurled into a bar killing four and wounding 25 others 10 of them seriously a police officer said adding that three suspects had been arrested.
In the neighboring northern Kirundo province another person was wounded in a blast while a grenade was also thrown into a bar in the northeastern Muyinga district although no one was hurt in that attack. In Bujumbura two policemen were wounded by a grenade on Monday morning.
'These people want to frighten the population to prevent them from voting' said Muyinga district governor Aline Manirabarusha.
'It is clear that all these grenade attacks are related to each other this is a terror campaign organized by opponents of the third term of President Pierre Nkurunziza to destabilize and try to prevent the elections' a senior police officer said.
Last week the Burundian human rights group Aprodeh said at least 70 people have been killed 500 wounded and more than 1000 jailed since late April when the opposition took to the streets to protest Nkurunziza's bid to remain in power.
More than 100000 people have fled the violence to neighboring countries.
Nkurunziza survived a coup attempt last month and has since faced down international pressure including aid cuts aimed at forcing him to reconsider his attempt to stay in power which diplomats fear could plunge the country back into war.