DHAKA: Burundian security forces fired shots and tear gas in battles with protesters on Wednesday, the latest violence in weeks of anti-government demonstrations, as the presidency delayed elections by over a week.

In the capital Bujumbura, hundreds defied government orders to call off their protests, marching through the streets singing and demanding President Pierre Nkurunziza abandon his bid for a third term in power.

One week after a failed coup led by a top general, which saw soldiers battling each other on the streets, police were seen returning to try to quash protests.

In recent days, mainly soldiers, viewed by many protesters as being more neutral than the much more feared police, had been deployed, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1734 HRS, MAY 20, 2015
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