Burundi : arms trafficking, a new pretext for targeting the opposition?

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 18, 2026—The Attorney General’s Office has announced the opening of legal proceedings against a group of individuals accused of involvement in illicit arms trafficking using forged documents. Two people, a South African national and a Burundian, have already been arrested, and a “significant quantity” of weapons has been seized. However, the number of suspects, their identities, and the nature of the seized weapons have not been specified, fueling speculation about the outcome of this case.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Attorney General’s Office asserts that a group composed of foreign nationals and Burundian citizens allegedly used forged documents to smuggle a shipment of weapons into Burundi.

Two people have already been arrested, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The two men arrested are South African Wayne Patrick Du Toit and Burundian Eddie Muco. The Public Prosecutor’s Office also states that a significant quantity of weapons was seized, without providing further details on their type, origin, or destination.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office indicates that it is continuing its investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the events and determine the responsibilities of any person or organization involved in planning or carrying out these offenses.

How many suspects?

The press release, however, leaves several questions unanswered. The Public Prosecutor’s Office does not specify how many people make up the group presented as being involved in the alleged trafficking. Nor does it specify how many are Burundian and how many are foreign nationals.

No information has yet been released regarding possible further arrests, even though the press release refers to a group and not just the two men already arrested.

This lack of clarity also fuels questions from local and foreign observers, who fear that the case could potentially be used as a pretext for arresting individuals with no established connection to the alleged trafficking.

Some are particularly concerned that accusations related to the possession or trafficking of weapons could be used against real or perceived opponents, in a country where such accusations have already been made in political and security cases.

The specter of the 2015 crisis

These concerns stem from the political and security context created by the 2015 crisis, triggered by the decision of the late President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a controversial third term.

Since then, several opposition figures, former military personnel, and police officers have been arrested or imprisoned by the authorities, some accused of illegally possessing weapons, maintaining links with armed groups operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, or spying for neighboring Rwanda.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly denounced arrests and detentions they consider arbitrary or politically motivated.

This period was also marked by the exile of several independent media outlets, human rights organizations, and activists. According to observers, the shrinking of civic and media space has complicated independent verification of numerous accusations made by the authorities against individuals presented as suspects or enemies of the state.

Trafficking networks involving officials?

Alongside politically motivated cases, several alleged trafficking networks have been denounced in recent years in Burundi and the Great Lakes region.

These include arms trafficking, mineral trafficking, human trafficking, and alleged money laundering operations involving, in some cases, foreign nationals.

Accusations have also targeted Burundian officials as well as officials or members of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party. These allegations, however, must be distinguished from the facts established by the courts and remain, in several cases, contested or insufficiently documented publicly.

In the new case announced by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the question will therefore be whether the investigation will establish the existence of a genuine organized network and identify all its actors, or whether the prosecution will remain limited to the two people already arrested.

For the time being, the Public Prosecutor’s Office affirms that it is continuing its investigations. It did not specify the exact extent of the alleged network, the quantity and type of weapons seized, or the identity of any other individuals who may be wanted.

The transparency of the proceedings and the release of information that could establish responsibility will be closely scrutinized, as this case comes in a context where accusations of arms trafficking have already been used in cases involving individuals considered close to the opposition or hostile to the government.