Three generals were arrested in Burundi for their role in an attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza while he was on a visit to Tanzania.

The capital, Bujumbura, was the scene of heavy fighting on Thursday for control of the state radio headquarters but the situation seems to have calmed since then and the streets were quiet of Friday morning.

Major General Godefroid Niyombare, who had announced on Wednesday that he was overthrowing Nkurunziza, remains on the run according to a presidential spokesman.

The return of Nkurunziza on Thursday to the country is another signal that the bid to unseat him has failed despite cheers from thousands of opposition protestors who welcomed Niyombare's announcement.

Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office has drawn protests over the past two weeks, in which demonstrators clashed with police, resulting in the death of 20 people.