Burundi : Burundian soldiers who refused to go to fight alongside the FARDC were concentrated in three jails after their conviction

The 274 soldiers, only two of whom were acquitted, were sent to the prisons of Ruyigi (east), Bururi and Rumonge (southwest). These detention centers respectively hosted 82, 61 and 131 prisoners.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to an extract of the notification of judgment of July 17 seen by SOS Médias Burundi, the leader of the group was identified by the Military Court as Corporal Céleus Nininahazwe alias Bizingiti. According to the same extract, only two other soldiers out of the 274 who had appeared before the first instance of the military prosecutor’s office were acquitted. Égide Ndayiragije and Gérard Ndayizamba are two rank-and-file soldiers, with the rank of first class.

According to military sources and those close to the inmates, the latter will appeal the ruling of the military court.

Before their conviction by the Military Court, these soldiers were detained in six prisons. These are those of Muyinga and Ngozi (northeast), Muramvya (center) which did not receive the convicts they hosted before their transfer to the central prison of Rutana (southeast) where they were gathered to be tried. The highest ranking among the convicts has the rank of chief corporal, according to SOS Médias Burundi.