Burundi

2015 Burundian unrest
On April 25, 2015, the ruling political party in Burundi, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy, announced that the incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza would run for a third term in the election, an announcement that sparked protests by those opposed to a third term. Widespread demonstrations lasted in the capital for over three weeks, resulting in a government shutdown of the Internet and telephone network, as well as the universities. Since then, tens of thousands fled the country. On May 13, the military attempted a coup, which collapsed the following day as government forces reasserted control.

The controversial presidential election was held on July 21, 2015, giving the victory to the incumbent, who was sworn in for his third term on August 20. Low-level violence continued in the months that followed, as people on both sides continued to target high-profile officials and rebels. Despite criticism by the United States and other Western donors, other African leaders pushed to extend their terms beyond their constitutional limits; for example, on December 18, 2015, Rwandans voted in a referendum on changing the constitution to allow the incumbent to extend his term in office, possibly until 2034.

Tensions ran high on December 11, 2015, when gunmen attacked military sites in the capital, unnerving a region where memories of the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda were still raw. As a result of the violence, the African Union pledged 5,000 peacekeepers to protect civilians in the country, the first time the bloc invoked powers to deploy troops to a member country against its will.