Barely a week after the president left the country on 10 September, stories of a plot against him started circulating on social media.

The source of the rumours is not clear yet.

In his address after arriving back to the country on Sunday night, Mr Ndayishimiye blamed them on “people who have always wanted to paint a bad image” of Burundi.

Burundi has experienced more than 10 successful and failed coups.

“Back in the day we went through it, but now our hearts are calm, sleep knowing well that you will wake up and go to your work,” Mr Ndayishimiye said. 

On Sunday before his arrival, the country's ministry of interior announced on X (formerly Twitter) that “no house is burning”, urging people not to care about “those rumours that distract”.