A shooting at a popular night spot in a town near the capital of Burundi has claimed the lives of 36 people and left 15 others wounded. No one has claimed responsibility for the well-orchestrated attack, which followed a spate of unsolved killings in the Central African nation. The United States is deeply troubled by the assault, and we send our condolences to families of the victims.
Burundi's president, Pierre Nkurunziza, has condemned the violence, and promised to find the attackers and bring them to justice. Such a horrific act should not go unpunished.
Elections last year culminated a long peace process aimed at resolving the nation's bitter 1995-2006 civil war. National reconciliation, however, is still ongoing, and the recent spate of shootings and killings do nothing to further the process. Indeed, they threaten the nation's hardwon stability.
The United States urges the government of Burundi to call on all parties to put an end to violence and return to the process of reconciliation.
Burundi Violence Threatens Stability
Bodies of victims of armed raiders covered-over with cloth are lined-up for identification on September 19, 2011 in the capital Bujumbura.
A shooting at a popular night spot in a town near the capital of Burundi has claimed the lives of 36 people and left 15 others wounded.