Burundi: Hundreds of students camping outside US Embassy asked to leave or face violent removal

Burundi US embassy students — Burundian students slide under the main access gate of the US embassy compound in Bujumbura on 25 June 2015 Getty Images/ MARCO LONGARI

The Burundian police have asked hundreds of students, who have been camping outside the US Embassy in the nation's capital, Bujumbura, to leave or be removed by force, as tension around the building is rising.

About 600 students are seeking shelter there because, they claim, the US authorities ensure their security, after their university was closed amid anti-government protests.

The government closed the university at the end of April, citing "insecurity".

According to witnesses, armed men - probably marines - were seen on the embassy's rooftop, where US ambassador Dawn Liberi was also seen observing the scene with binoculars.

UPDATE:

11:20 GMT, 26 June 2015:

IBTimes UK spoke to one of the students, who says he has been in hiding since he was threatened by the police outside the US embassy.

"Yesterday around midday, the police came to get us, so we climbed over the embassy's walls," Blaise (not his real name), a second-year student at the University of Burundi, told IBTimes UK on Friday (26 June). "There was no negotiation possible with the police, no dialogue between them and us. They just arrived and took our belongings."

Because around 300 students were gathered on the premises and "the ambassador said he was unable to welcome us", Blaise and two fellow students fled the embassy and found refuge at friends' in one of the capital's neighbourhoods.

Students claims they will be tracked down by members of the CNDD-FDD's Imbonerakure youth wing if they return to their province or to their university dormitories.

"In the evening, some of us fled the area to go into the neighbourhoods but a number of students were arrested in front of the embassy," Blaise explained.

The trio says it is awaiting to see how the authorities will respond to decide whether or not to return to their home provinces.

"We are all scared the police will come after us, everyone is scared of being arrested."

The young man deplored the fact that all his possessions have been taken away by the police officers.

"We don't know how we are going to get our possessions. But because we don't want to be arrested we will probably end up leaving our belongings in the hands of the police."

In his view, collecting his items could put him at risk.

"We could go and get them but we are scared our identities will be revealed that way, because of documents that could easily identify us, such as our student ID cards. We will stay away," he added.

13:30 GMT, 25 June 2015:

Dozens of students have been injured as they tried to climb over a wall at the embassy to avoid the police, who threatened to break up their camp outside the compound.

"The police came to get us and we climbed the walls of the embassy for our security," Pierre, a second-year student at the University of Burundi, told IBTimes UK from the embassy.

The young man is among 200 other students who broke into the US embassy seeking refuge.