Pierre Nkurunziza, the president of Burundi, has been photographed playing football as protests continue over his bid to run for a third term in office.
In the latest unrest, a protester was shot dead in Bujumbura but Nkurunziza was captured playing his daily kick-about with friends.
“The president’s passion for football is well known. He even has his own team, called Hallelujah FC,” the BBC said.
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“He combines matches against local team with evangelical prayer sessions. He never travels without his own football team and a choir.”
Last week, Burundi was rocked by a failed coup when the president travelled to Tanzania to attend a regional summit.
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Nkurunziza went back into the country and days later the coup leaders were arrested.
On Wednesday, during his first public appearance, the president claimed the country was facing Al-Shabaab terror threat and evaded discussing the coup attempt.
Nkurunziza has since sacked his defence and foreign ministers and postponed upcoming parliamentary elections for a week to June 2.
Protests against the third-term bid have been taking place since April and his critics say the bid contravenes the constitution, which requires him to step down after two terms.
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However, Burundi’s constitutional court says that Nkurunziza’s first term does not count because he was elected by parliament and not voters.
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