Top Opposition Leader Assassinated In Burundi

Piece by: Harun Momanyi
Lifestyle

Barely two weeks after the failed attempted coup in Burundi, Zedi Feruzi, a leading opposition leader has been assassinated by gunmen. His lifeless body was found in Ngagara, a district in Bujumbura.

The Union for Peace and Development party leader was reportedly killed near his home, alongside his body guard. A policeman guarding the outspoken leader was seriously injured in the incident that took place yesterday.

"We heard around 20 gunshots, everyone fell to the ground, people saw a Toyota car speeding away," a neighbor told Aljazeera.

Zedi was one of the opposition leaders who had publicly spoken against President Nkurunziza's plan to run for a third term. Nkurunziza's argument is based on the fact that he was elected in by parliament and not by popular vote.

Feruzi belonged to a small muslim community, was popular but his party wasn't amongst the most prominent in the country.