Burundi : mysterious disappearance of two commissioners of the CVR – forced resignation or set-up?

Since the beginning of February, two commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR) of Burundi, its vice-chairperson Clément Noé Ninziza and commissioner Aloys Batungwanayo, have been missing. According to sources close to the missing persons, they were forced to resign by the speaker of the National Assembly, following complaints issued by the chairperson of the very controversial Commission in charge of reconciliation between Burundians. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Some sources speak of a climate of tension within the CVR. This is a climate of mistrust that has settled between these two commissioners and the management of the CVR, according to our sources.

Aloys Batungwanayo, in particular, had gained some notoriety among the authorities in place thanks to his research on the crises that had plunged the country into mourning. However, accusations of treason and espionage for Rwanda were reportedly brought against him and Pierre Claver Ndayicariye’s deputy, leading to their summons and forced resignation.

Two new commissioners to replace the missing

Following these events, a presidential decree appointed two new commissioners to replace those who resigned. During the plenary session of February 13, 2025, the National Assembly elected Vianney Ndikumana and Bishop Aimé Joseph Kimararungu to fill these vacant positions. The latter have varied backgrounds, between administration and religious commitment, and have promised to work for national reconciliation.

A controversial institution

The disappearance of these two commissioners comes at a time when the work of the CVR is often controversial. The chairperson of the Commission, Pierre Claver Ndayicariye, is regularly accused of ethnic bias in his approach to Burundi’s past, which fuels debates on the objectivity and impartiality of the institution.

A case with many gray areas

To date, no official information has been communicated concerning the fate of Clément Noé Ninziza and Aloys Batungwanayo. Their disappearance raises many questions and raises concerns about the independence and transparency of the work of the CVR, which is so far only concerned with the 1972 massacres that took more Hutus than Tutsis while its mandate covers the period from 1885 to 2008.