Burundi is scheduled to have a referendum on May 17 to determine whether to change the constitution to extend presidential terms from five to seven years. Human rights organizations are concerned that the vote will not be conducted fairly, citing sporadic violence and abductions. Emmanuel Bigirimana, the leader of Buganda district, described an incident in Ruhagarika village where armed individuals arrived and began shooting, resulting in fatalities and injuries. Approximately 20 attackers, most of whom were wearing military uniforms, were involved in the violence in Burundi in April 2015. The crisis began when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to seek a third term, which the opposition argued was unconstitutional and violated a peace agreement that had ended the civil war in 2005. Despite being re-elected, Nkurunziza faced armed opposition from some of his rivals. Rights organizations estimate that around 400,000 individuals have fled to nearby countries to escape the conflict. Both government officials and opposition members have been casualties of the ongoing violence between the opposing factions. The suggested changes to the constitution would restrict the president to two consecutive terms, potentially allowing Nkurunziza to remain in power until 2034 without considering his previous terms. Some residents in the village believed that an attack was meant to discourage support for the constitutional changes, while others, like Bigirimana, believed it was not politically motivated as the attackers targeted multiple households and only killed women and children. Bigirimana stated that the attack was more about settling a personal dispute rather than being politically driven.