Burundi’s parliamentary elections on June 29 continued the trend of political instability and state-sanctioned violence that created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in the weeks leading up to the vote. Election day clashes involved gunfire and grenades amid boycotts by political opposition groups and citizens nationwide.

After President Pierre Nkurunziza declared his bid for a third term in office in April, contrary to the term limits delineated in the nation’s Constitution, protests erupted throughout the country. The government then moved to suppress the protests and stifle dissent, triggering weeks of violent clashes between government forces and protesters that have left over 70 people dead and hundreds more injured.

Prior to election day, the international community expressed its concern over the worsening political turmoil in the country. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asked Burundi’s leaders to “seriously consider” postponing the elections given the country’s troubling security environment. The United States Department of State also issued a press statement on June 29 indicating that it was “deeply disappointed” in the decision to hold elections on Monday “despite woefully inadequate conditions for them to be credible.” Additionally, the African Union refused to observe the election, noting that the country lacked the conditions “for the organisation of free, fair, transparent and credible elections.”

The parliamentary speaker fled the country on the eve of the election, fearing for his safety after opposing Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term. The vice president of Burundi’s constitutional court – which issued a ruling approving his bid for a third term – also fled, noting that the court was pressured to rule in favor of Nkurunziza.

Student protesters stressed the country’s need to avoid a constitutional crisis, given Burundi’s recent history of violence and civil war. Student concerns were met with the closing of Burundi University in April, however, signaling the government’s unwillingness to engage in open dialogue with its critics. With the university closed, many students have been forced to continually relocate, fearing they will be arrested—or worse—if they return home.

Many students no longer have homes to return to, with thousands of the country’s residents fleeing as refugees since the violence erupted. According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 66,000 refugees have crossed from Burundi into Tanzania since May 1. Many of them are fearful that the violence will only escalate leading up to the presidential election on July 15.