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Burundi capital calm, president tweets that coup was foiled

Associated Press
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May 13, 2015: Demonstrators trying to march to the town center confront police, before they were dispersed with tear gas, in the Ngagara district of Bujumbura, Burundi. (AP)

May 13, 2015: Women demonstrators try to march to the town center before being dispersed by police, in the Ngagara district of Bujumbura, Burundi. (AP)

A demonstrator trying to march to the town center is arrested by police, in the Ngagara district of Bujumbura, Burundi Wednesday, May 13, 2015. A police officer opened fire at protesters in Burundi's capital Wednesday as demonstrations against the president's bid for a third term heated up, with troops surrounding the national radio station. (AP Photo/Gildas Ngingo) (The Associated Press)

Burundi's capital was quiet Wednesday night after a tumultuous day in which thousands of people celebrated an attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza, who was in neighboring Tanzania for a summit meeting on his country's troubles.

But Nkurunziza's office said the coup attempt was unsuccessful, posting a statement on the president's Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"A group of soldiers mutinied this morning and made a fantasy declaration of a coup d'etat," said the statement.  "This attempted coup was foiled and these people ... are sought by defense and security forces so they are brought to justice."

Earlier in the day police withdrew from the streets of Bujumbura, the capital, after an army general announced that Nkurunziza had been relieved of his duties as president.