Makamba: persecution of members and disruption of CNL Party activities

The acrobats who were about to welcome Agathon Rwasa, the CNL leader, were ill-treated by Imbonerakure as rented vehicles heading to the meeting scheduled in the capital of the province of Makamba (southern Burundi) were prohibited from transporting supporters, by the administrator of Nyanza-lac. Officials and members of the CNL party are subject to threats and intimidation and call for the oppression to stop. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to the leader of the CNL opposition party in Makamba province, Laurent Harushimana, the so-called dancer-Agasimbo acrobats (traditional dance from the Buragane region) were attacked by Imbonerakure (members of the youth league of the party CNDD-FDD) from the Nyange zone in the commune of Makamba when they were heading to the provincial capital to enhance the ceremonies last Saturday.

Their outfits and other dance gear were torn causing their absence in the ceremony.

Also, Laurent Harushimana, added, the vehicles to transport activists in the commune of Nyanza-lac were diverted by Marie Goreth Irankunda, administrator of the commune of Nyanza-Lac.

This authority diverted them on Saturday morning to the parking lot of Nyanza-Lac as they were preparing to transport the CNL members to the capital of Makamba province. “They had already paid advances for these vehicles”, regrets the provincial leader of the CNL party.

Marie Goreth Irankunda, head of this commune, explained that “these vehicles were supposed to transport the natives of her commune who took part in the meeting of the natives of the new province of Burunga”.

The provincial officials of the CNL party also deplored the fact that 4 party offices have not been inaugurated since March 2023 following the ban by the administrative authorities in the commune of Nyanza-lac, one in the commune of Kibago whose doors and the windows were smashed.

“CNL activists in the commune of Kibago are therefore persecuted and no longer sleep at home for fear of being attacked,” said Mr. Harushimana.

On the same day of the congress, the provincial police commissioner in Makamba, Emmanuel Manariyo, prohibited any activity at the provincial office of the CNL where Agathon Rwasa was to be hosted.

The majority of CNL activists in the commune of Nyanza-lac could not participate in this activity due to the lack of vehicles because those taken by Marie Goreth Irankunda had absorbed their budget in fuel and advances.

The CNL leader Agathon Rwasa despite everything managed to go to the capital of Makamba last Saturday as part of his awareness campaign on the new territorial subdivision of Burundi.

In Makamba and in other provinces, the police and administrative authorities have always explained that no Burundian is mistreated and harassed because of his political affiliation, contrary to reports by Burundian and international human rights organizations as well as the department of American state.
CNL activists in a rally in the capital of Makamba, April 23, 2023
CNL activists in a rally in the capital of Makamba, April 23, 2023