Thousands of Burundian activists mourned a murdered opposition leader at his funeral Sunday, vowing to intensify their protests against a bid by the president of the central African nation to seek a third consecutive term. Opposition leaders also said they were suspending talks with the government of President Pierre Nkurunziza after Zedi Feruzi, the leader of the Union for Peace and Development (UPD), a small opposition party, was gunned down in the capital on Saturday.
"Those who killed Feruzi Zedi will pay sooner or later," one sign held by mourners read.
The killing came a day after a grenade attack on a busy market killed three people and injured around 40 others.
The attacks have dramatically worsened tensions in the crisis-hit country, where a heavy-handed crackdown on the anti-government demonstrations has already left around 30 dead since late April.
The crisis also sparked a failed coup against President Nkurunziza last week, and there are fears Burundi, which only emerged from a 13-year civil war in 2006, could be plunged back into conflict.
Condemning the apparent assassination as "an awful act", activists said in a statement they were "suspending participation in dialogue with the government" that had been supported by the United Nations and African Union.
They also said the murder could have been part of an alleged "plan to physically eliminate" leaders of the campaign against Nkurunziza. A journalist who witnessed the attack said the gunmen were clad in uniforms similar to those worn by the presidential guard.
While the streets of the capital were calm Sunday in line with a weekend truce, protesters were readying to resume the demonstrations.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has already criticised Nkurunziza's attempt to stay in office, also condemned the latest violence and appealed for "calm and restraint".
Burundi's crisis, which began in late April after the ruling party nominated Nkurunziza to stand again in the June 26 presidential election, deepened last week when a top general staged a failed coup attempt.
Parliamentary polls, initially set for May 26, have been postponed to June 5.