Armed vigilantes in capital expose deepening crisis

As darkness falls, vigilantes armed with automatic rifles emerge to patrol the streets of Bujumbura, a city plagued by killings and violence as Burundi's crisis deepens.

For months, the trill of cicadas in the tropical night has been interrupted by sporadic gunfire and explosions across the capital, center of the turmoil sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office.

Thousands initially protested against the president and opposed his re-election in a disputed July vote. Now some have formed vigilante units, coming out at night in tracksuits and jeans, clutching AK-47 rifles as they patrol.