By Patrick Nduwimana

BUJUMBURA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Burundian university students said police fired on them on Saturday during a protest against the one-week closure of their school and police said one officer was killed and five students injured in rioting.

The protest started early on Saturday when almost 12,000 students at the University of Burundi refused to leave their dormitories.

The government ordered the school in the capital of the central African nation closed for a week saying students had refused a request to treat lecturers with respect. The request followed an incident in which two teachers were abused physically.

"The situation is now under control, the majority of students have left the homes," said David Nikiza, police chief in charge of security in Bujumbura.

"We deplore the death of one police agent hit by a stone thrown by a group of students, but five students are also injured."

Students said police fired as they protested. Nikiza said police responded to an attack by students.

Burundi is struggling to rebuild after a 12-year civil war that killed 300,000 in ethnic conflict.

President Pierre Nkurunziza's government has been credited with progress despite some resurgent allegations of corruption and rights abuses. (Writing by Bryson Hull; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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