Burundi : the regime helps the CNL to split, which does not scare its leader Agathon Rwasa

Burundi : the regime helps the CNL to split, which does not scare its leader Agathon Rwasa

On Sunday, a group of CNL party officials organized an extraordinary congress in the town center of the province of Ngozi (northern Burundi). They chose Nestor Girukwishaka as their new leader for a period of 5 years. Agathon Rwasa, traditional CNL leader, speaks of “political mercenarism”. He has the support of the coalition of African opposition leaders who threaten to “seize the EAC Court of Justice” if the Burundian authorities do not stop their harassment against the former Hutu rebel leader. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The congress took place in a climate of tension. Several CNL members were arrested or prevented from traveling on the national territory.

The police and administration authorities wanted to prevent them from participating in this event, sources within the CNL told SOS Médias Burundi.

According to images provided by witnesses, security had been reinforced in the city center of Ngozi, Rwasa’s native province where the activity took place.

The delegates chose Nestor Girukwishaka as the new CNL leader. He has a term of 5 years.

This executive from the ministry in charge of energy was elected in a very tense climate.

Political mercenary

Agathon Rwasa, who still claims to be CNL leader, talks about political mercenarism. “The dissidence was born because the CNDD-FDD is afraid that we will go to elections and that we could change the course of events in terms of governance in this country which is Burundi. Because we did not agree to pay allegiance to the CNDD-FDD party, they have always looked for people with rather simple and greedy minds so that they can orchestrate these coups. Political mercenarism has borne no fruit in Burundi,” reacted Agathon Rwasa in an exclusive interview he gave to SOS Médias Burundi on Sunday, regretting that “the economy is collapsing more and more, the social fabric will soon be damaged with this, basic services are not not available.”

Pseudo congress

The former Hutu rebel leader speaks of pseudo-congress. Himself traveling in Kenya when this congress was held, he was not invited. He regrets that the other designated delegates were also prevented from participating. “It is also a shame because there are statutory congress participants. They were not invited and when they took the initiative to travel to Ngozi, they were prevented from access to it. They were sequestered by the police and the administration, meaning that they do not have the right to participate in this pseudo-congress,” continues Mr. Rwasa.

Rwasa is not afraid of being ousted

For Agathon Rwasa, the quality of the delegates is already in doubt. “We are violating the entire constitution and the law on political parties and even the statutes of the CNL party by claiming to act on behalf of the CNL. We have enlisted people from the CNDD-FDD and other political groups affiliated with the CNDD-FDD to simulate this congress”, accuses the contested CNL leader. And to be clearer “He (Nestor Girukwishaka) will not be president of the CNL party since the delegates are not official delegates of the CNL party. Among the delegates I am among the number of those to be invited. Was Invited? Have they invite MPs? Have they invited the officials at the district and provincial level who should be there? Not at all. If someone is supported by the Imbonerakure (members of the league of young people of the CNDD-FDD), behind him the Imbonerakure will line up, not the CNL members.

Attacks and dictatorial excesses

Agathon Rwasa claims to have escaped two attacks recently and says he could be the victim of arbitrary arrest at any time, something he also does not fear. ” […] A bus hit me, not because I had broken any traffic rules but because there are all these plots brewing here and there. And four days later, I almost lost my skin. God only knows why I survived these two attacks. Stopping, that’s still relevant today. I know that they swear by all the demons that they must do battle with me… It is the dictatorial drift that is being consolidated. And there you can expect anything. We have the whole procession of misfortunes which befalls our members, who are sometimes kidnapped, who are arrested without reason, who are languishing in prison even though they have been cleared by the courts. We are here to suffer all the injustices and all the humiliations from those in power,” says Rwasa.

In June 2023, the Burundian minister in charge of internal affairs suspended all CNL activities. Martin Niteretse spoke of clashes that could break out between CNL members who support two sides.

On December 29, President Évariste Ndayishimiye said during a public broadcast that he would act in this way if he were in his minister’s place.

Wink

“If President Ndayishimiye has always said he condemns coups, and now he is covering up an act of this kind within a political party, what will happen if those who are in his army or his police were to overthrow him, what would the Burundians say, what would the international community say”, questions Agathon Rwasa.

Support

The former Hutu rebel leader is part of a coalition of African opposition leaders.

His peers support him and even threaten to attack the Burundian authorities at the Court of Justice of the East African economic bloc.

They sent a letter in particular to the African Commission in charge of Human Rights, the General Secretariat of the EAC, the African Commission and the United Nations Commission in charge of Human Rights.

For Kenyan opponent Martha Karua who spoke on behalf of this coalition, “We will take the matter to the EAC Court of Justice if the Burundian authorities do not stop their harassment against Agathon Rwasa and the CNL party.”

Agathon Rwasa, who swears that he will never dream of creating another political party, believes that “Burundi deserves better than what it has today and it is through free and democratic elections that this can be done”.

“If these people who manage Burundi today are aware that Burundi will survive them, they might as well accept competition, let the parties organize freely. I think that in 2025, elections without the CNL would not be elections”, concludes the contested CNL leader.

A spokesperson for the ministry responsible for internal affairs was not available to answer our questions.

But the police and the administration managed by this ministry helped ensure that the congress took place without hindrance.

Rwasa’s opponents, for their part, persist and sign: “the party belongs to us all, let’s return to work and put forward the leaders who unite us.”

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