UNITED NATIONS—Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Wednesday that Burundi is on the brink of a civil war that could engulf the region.
Burundi has been in turmoil since the April announcement that President Pierre Nkurunziza would seek a third term in office, which he won in a disputed election in July. More than 300 people have been killed, about 215,000 others have fled Burundi since April, and violence has escalated.
The U.N. chief expressed alarm at the “chilling” escalation in violence between government forces and armed fighters.
At least 87 people, including eight security men, died Friday when an unidentified group of more than 150 people attacked three military facilities. Rights groups say this was the worst violence since the crisis over presidential term limits began with street protests that boiled over into the attempted military coup in May.
