Rutana: 4 months after the murder of Jean Claude Niyongabo of the CNL in Gatara, his family is still requesting justice

Jean Claude Niyongabo was allegedly killed by Imbonerakure (members of the CNDD-FDD party’s youth league). The Rutana prosecutor’s office refused to open the case against the alleged criminals. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Jean Claude Niyongabo’s family members entrusted the case to the Rutana public prosecutor’s office (south-eastern Burundi).

The prosecutor allegedly refused to open this case arguing that once the file is opened, members of his family would risk to be killed in turn.

The victim, a CNL activist, was allegedly murdered by an Imbonerakure led by the Muzye zone administrator, Désiré, escorted by an Imbonerakure leader in the Muzye zone, Édouard Nkezimana, nicknamed Biduda.

The OPJ investigating the case has reportedly been transferred to the communal police station in Mpingakayove (same province) under the injunction of the provincial secretary of the CNDD-FDD Sylvain Nzikoruriho to cover up the affair.

The family does not budge and demands that justice be done for the victim.

Jean Claude Niyongabo was killed by Imbonerakure on patrol, the day before the visit of the Head of State Évariste Ndayishimiye, according to sources in Gatara.

Since his murder, two other people have reportedly been killed by the same suspects but there have been no legal proceedings either.