Burundi president threatens to fight African Union peacekeepers

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza said Wednesday he would fight a proposed African Union peacekeeping force if they set foot on Burundian soil in defiance of intense global pressure to accept them.

"Everybody should respect the borders of Burundi. If the troops are in violation of this decision, they will have attacked Burundi, and each Burundian must stand up to fight them," Nkurunziza said in the national language Kirundi, in a speech broadcast on state radio.

"The country will have been attacked, and we will fight them."