Bujumbura - Burundi's ruling party on Thursday accused Belgium of attempting the violent overthrow of the government, and criticised Belgium's recent call to its citizens to leave the troubled African country.
Belgians should stay and face justice for “atrocities” that the former colonial power had carried out since independence in 1962, the CNDD-FDD said.
“Inviting Belgian citizens to leave the Burundian soil shows that they want to flee the Burundian justice,” said CNDD-FDD spokesman Daniel Gelase Ndabirabe.
He accused Belgium of being behind a coup that President Pierre Nkurunziza thwarted in May and of financing “terrorists” now staging attacks in the capital Bujumbura.
The east African country has been gripped by political violence since Nkurunziza announced in April that he would seek a third term in office, despite the constitutional two-term limit. The president then won a July election boycotted by the opposition.
More than 200 people are estimated to have been killed in protests and attacks since April.
Belgium last week advised its citizens to leave Burundi to avoid the violence.
DPA