A Burundian General, Athanase Kararuza, was this morning together with his wife and body guard killed by unknown assailants in Gihosha, north of the Burundian capital, Bujumbura.

Kararuza was adviser on security and defense matters in the office of the first Burundian Vice President, Gaston Sindimwo.

Reports from Bujumbura say that the general and his wife had just dropped off their daughter at a school in the capital Bujumbura when their car came under rocket and grenade attacks. Karazura, his wife and bodyguard died at the attack scene.

Karazura was with the International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) between 2013 and 2015.

Shortly after the attack, the International Criminal court announced that it was starting a preliminary investigation into the violence in Burundi.

This will decide whether a full-blown investigation will take place, which could result in charges against those accused of being behind the violence.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Burundi’s minister of Human Rights, Martin Nivyabandi and his wife were also injured in a grenade attack as they walked out of church in Bujumbura.

More details to follow