Police Vanish From Burundi Capital; Coup Attempt Celebrated

Police have vanished from the streets of Burundi's capital as thousands of people celebrated a coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunziza, who was in a neighboring country for a conference.

During three weeks of unrest, the military has been acting as buffer between police and protesters who oppose Nkurunziza's bid for a third term, saying it violates the Constitution and Arusha peace accords that ended a civil war here.

An army general said on a private radio station Wednesday that Nkurunziza's mandate is over. However, whether he had the support of the military was unclear.