Pope's ambassador dies following ambush

Monsignor Michael Courtney, the Apostolic Nuncio in Burundi, died on Monday during surgery at Prince Louis Rwagasore hospital in the capital, Bujumbura, to stem serious haemorrhaging following gunshot wounds sustained during a road ambush, Misna, the Roman Catholic Church's information service, has reported.

Misna said that Courtney was wounded in Minago, 50 km south of Bujumbura, in the southern province of Bururi, in circumstances that remained unclear.

Courtney was reportedly hit by three bullets - one to the head, one to the shoulder and one to a limb - and never regained consciousness.

A priest travelling with Courtney reportedly sustained a minor injury, while the driver and another passenger were unharmed. The bullets also hit the wheels of the car, which subsequently made it to the capital with difficulty, Misna said.

Earlier on Monday, four people including a child died in another ambush at Gihanga, about 15 km from Bujumbura, on the road connecting the capital to the northwestern province of Cibitoke.