Nighttime Violence in Bujumbura: Burundi On The Brink (Dispatch 5)

In the past several weeks, gunfire and explosions have pierced the night in Bujumbura, Burundi’s capital. The identity of the shooters has remained a mystery, although many suspect the police, in conjunction with the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling party. Considered by some to be an armed militia, the Imbonerakure have been accused of helping police quell dissidents. In neighborhoods where residents are opposed to Burundi’s ruling party and therefore subject to the night raids, people have organized to protect themselves — destroying entrances to neighborhoods, creating a communication system that notifies residents when an intruder has entered the community.

VICE News visits an opposition neighborhood in Bujumbura during the night to see what defense measures have been put in place, and witnesses the aftermath of the violence.

Watch “The Spoils of War: Burundi on the Brink (Dispatch 4)”

Watch previous dispatches from Burundi

‘If They See Me Alive, They’ll Kill Me’: Burundi Refugees Filling Up Camps Across the Border