Zedi Feruzi, the head of the Union for Peace and Democracy (UPD), was assassinated along with his bodyguard while on his way home in the central district of Ngagara late on Saturday, AFP reported.
Feruzi’s blood-stained body and that of a bodyguard were lying outside the official’s home soon after the incident.
“We heard about twenty shots, everyone dived down, people have seen a Toyota car to flee hastily," a resident said.
A third person, seemingly another bodyguard of Feruzi, was seriously injured in the attack, according to the victim’s relatives.
The raid was the latest in a series of violent incidents in the Central African nation, which has witnessed weeks-long protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term in power. More than 20 people have died in clashes with security forces, which began in late April.
Nkurunziza’s intention to seek a third term in the June 26 presidential election is viewed by the opponents as a clear violation of the constitution and the Arusha Agreements, which marked an end to the civil war.
The two documents limit the president’s stay in office to two five-year terms.
The incumbent president, however, has rejected claims that he is violating the constitution by seeking to remain in power, arguing that he can still run for president as his rise to power after the civil war did not come through direct votes.
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