Queues outside shops, banks in Burundi's capital

Long queues formed outside shops and banks in the Burundian capital Bujumbura on Saturday, witnesses said, as people took advantage of a day-long pause in protests against the president’s decision to run for a third term.

A total of 19 people have died in the demonstrations against Pierre Nkurunziza’s plan to run again, which its opponents say violates the Cconstitution and a peace deal that ended an ethnically-charged civil war in 2005.

Clashes erupted again in Bujumbura late on Friday, hours after Nkurunziza formally registered his candidacy. Police said officers killed two protesters when they opened fire on a crowd pelting them with stones.

One-day pause

Protest leader Pacifique Nininahazwe called for a one-day pause in view of the latest deaths, but said demonstrations would “resume immediately” if there was further violence involving the police.

“We asked protesters to suspend demonstrating for one day before resuming the movement on Sunday,” Nininahazwe said. There were no signs of protest in the capital on Saturday, a Reuters witness said, although people took advantage of the calm to stock up on food and cash.

Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term has plunged Burundi into its worst unrest since a war that pitted rebels from ethnic Hutu majority against the then Tutsi-led army in which about 300,000 people were killed.

Hundreds of protesters had taken to the streets on Friday hours after Nkurunziza formally registered his candidacy. Police said officers were removing their barricades when they were pelted with stones.

“Unfortunately there are some police who opened fire and two protesters died,” said police spokesman Liboire Bakunduwukize. Burundi’s constitutional court ruled last week Nkurunziza could stand, saying his first term did not count because he was picked by parliament not elected by the people.