Protesters say that Nkurunziza's bid is unconstitutional because he has already completed two terms and that doing so violates a peace deal that ended a dozen years of civil war in 2006. They also argue that weeks of protests and a violent crackdown by security forces mean free and fair elections are impossible.

On the hand, his supporters say he is eligible for a third term because he was chosen by lawmakers - and not popularly elected - for his first term, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The country has been left without most of its independent media outlets after several radio stations were attacked and destroyed during an attempted coup in May.

The U.N. human rights chief chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein told the U.N. Security Council Thursday that "the risk to human life, and to regional stability and development, is high" as a result of escalating politically motivated violence and Burundi's history of recurring bloodshed and atrocities, according to AFP

Supporting this claim is the fact that the latest UN figures reveal that more than 70 people have been killed in more than two months of protests, with more than 158,000 refugees fleeing to neighboring countries.

For more information on the crisis in Burundi check out some of the UN's documents here.