Bururi: listening to media in exile remains an offense

The director of the Murehe Communal High School in the province of Bururi (southern Burundi), Germain Ntakarutimana, spent a night in detention for having listened to the Humura shows of the RPA (African Public Radio) broadcasting from exile. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Germain Ntakarutimana was released this Friday around 11 a.m. He had been arrested the day before while participating in a meeting of the provincial director of education in Bururi. His only sin, according to witnesses, was that he has listened to a Humura show in the recordings of his WhatsApp messaging. He was quickly suspected of providing information to the RPA, a media outlet perceived as radical opposition by the Burundian authorities.

“Germain participated in a meeting of the director of education in the province of Bururi. Other school officials were also in a room at the Lycée Bururi where the meeting took place. We do not know what happened but the call sign of Humura rang his cell phone. The director of education quickly called the police who arrested him immediately,” say eyewitnesses of the scene of the arrest of the head of the Murehe communal high school.

Antoine Sabushimike, director of education in Bururi and local police officials therefore accused the teacher of being “an RPA informant”.

After his arrest, Germain Ntakarutimana was taken to the cell of the provincial police station in Bururi. He was detained there until late Friday morning. Teachers and school officials who took part in the meeting speak of an unjust arrest.

RPA has been broadcasting from exile since spring 2015 after its destruction with rockets by the Burundian security services. It was the day after the failed military coup against the power of the late President Pierre Nkurunziza on May 13, 2015. This media is considered by the Burundian authorities to be at the service of the enemies of the country and often accused of tarnishing the image of the small nation in East Africa. Several people were arrested and taken to local jails for listening to his broadcasts or suspected of providing him with information in recent years, before being released.