Burundi rejects UN police force to help end violence

Burundi's government has rejected a decision to deploy a UN police force to the country in an effort to end more than a year of political violence.  

The UN Security Council agreed to send two hundred and eighty-eight officers, despite Burundi saying it would accept not more than 50 unarmed personnel.  

But a government spokesman said even 50 is now unacceptable saying the move violates Burundi's sovereignty. 

The trouble, which has also led to two hundred thousand people fleeing their homes, was sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to seek a third term in office, which he gained in elections in July 2015.  

Government and opposition officials have been among those killed in a wave of tit-for-tat violence since then.

SOURCE: BBC