BURUNDIAN President Pierre Nkurunziza yesterday made his first public appearance in the capital since last week’s attempted coup.

Mr Nkurunziza made a brief statement to journalists on regional issues at the presidential offices in Bujumbura yesterday morning.

His appearance followed threats of economic sanctions and travel bans by the US government if leaders of the failed military coup were punished.

Mr Nkurunziza did not mention the coup or the opposition protests that preceded it, but instead described how he had contacted the presidents of nearby African countries to discuss the situation in Somalia.

Burundi, Kenya and Uganda contribute troops to the African Union (AU) military force fighting the al-Shabab Islamist militia in Somalia.

On Saturday, seventeen security officials, including five generals, accused of involvement in the attempted coup appeared before a prosecutor who charged them with attempting to destabilise public institutions.

Their lawyers made various allegations of police brutality and the use of threats to extract confessions.

General Godefroid Niyombare, who announced the coup, remains at large.

In a statement on Friday, the US State Department said that it was “alarmed” by reports of “retaliatory attacks” following the coup.

While claiming that the US “supports the rule of law and opposes attempts to seize power unlawfully,” it ­welcomed decisions by international donors to reduce or withdraw aid to Burundi and announced visa bans on some government officials.

Washington also supported the decision of the AU to delay the next deployment of Burundian troops in Somalia.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad urged the Burundian authorities on Friday to ensure that the instigators of the failed coup were not harmed and that there were no reprisals against their supporters.

The Hashemite prince, whose father Ra’ad bin Zeid claims the thrones of the republics of Iraq and Syria, claimed that unnamed “human rights defenders” and journalists in Burundi had contacted his office in fear for their safety.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis called yesterday for a sense of responsibility to prevail in Burundi.

Calling for prayers for the country’s people, he said: “May the Lord help all to avoid violence and act responsibly for the good of the country.”