Arrests made as Burundi police disperse opposition meet

Police patrol a street of Bujumbura on September 26, 2013. By Esdras Ndikumana (AFP/File)

Bujumbura (Burundi) (AFP) - Three members of Burundi's main ethnic Tutsi party were arrested Sunday in a police raid on a party meeting held amid worsening political tensions in the central African nation, witnesses said.

Three activists and two policemen were also hurt in the scuffles.

Tensions between the ruling party of President Pierre Nkurunziza and the Uprona party, the target of the raid, have been threatening to upset a delicate power-sharing arrangement between Burundi's majority Hutu and minority Tutsi communities, who are still struggling to reconcile after decades of conflict.

Police moved to stop around 100 Uprona activists from gathering at their party headquarters to attend a high-level party meeting.

Clashes broke out after a stand-of, with police using tear gas and batons to disperse the activists, an AFP reporter said.

At least three party members were hurt, including one seriously, while two policemen were lightly hurt by stone throwers. Three arrests were made, witnesses said.

"It's a real scandal to see police attacking Burundian citizens who are demonstrating peacefully and trying to enter their party headquarters," said Glorieuse Ntawe, an Uprona deputy who took part in the demonstration.

The ruling CNDD-FDD party has been accused of trying to force out Uprona party chairman Charles Nditije ahead of elections scheduled for 2015, and replace him with a sympathiser.

Uprona is the only Burundian grouping other than the CNDD-FDD not to have boycotted the 2010 elections. The other parties complained that the vote was marred by rigging.