Bunyoni case : his former subjects suspect everything

On Friday June 14, 2024, an incident took place at the central prison of Gitega (political capital) where the former Burundian Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni and boss of the PNB (Burundi National Police) has been detained since July 2023. The police burned prison uniforms that the wife of the small East African nation’s most guarded and dangerous inmate was going to wash at her home. She had refused to allow these clothes to be searched.

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Even though he is closely monitored day and night in a compartment of two isolated cells that he does not share with anyone since his former neighbor, businessman Amédée Bwimba has been free since May 31 after paying very high bail, General Bunyoni receives visits from his wife and his eldest daughter in particular, in addition to a cook who prepares food for him.

Last Friday, an incident occurred at Gitega central prison when Hyacinthe Niyonkuru was preparing to return. As usual, a policewoman in charge of searching her before leaving the prison was stationed at the main entrance of this prison.

“When she searched, she noticed that Bunyoni’s wife had prisoner (convict) uniforms in her bag. Bunyoni’s wife refused to give these clothes to the policewoman which created a small fight. The deputy-director was called but decided that these clothes should not be taken outside the prison. Hyacinthe remained there until the prison director came,” witnesses said.

When the director came, she raised several questions, according to our sources.

“Why do you want to leave in these prison clothes? Have you given him any other spare uniforms that he can wear if he happens to go out for Court or to go for treatment? asked Josiane Nishimwe to Bunyoni’s wife.

Hyacinthe Niyonkuru responded that “it was we who bought them” without being able to give any other explanation.

The director and her services then suggested to Bunyoni’s wife to give them these clothes so that they could be kept in Josiane Nishimwe’s office but the concerned woman balked.

“Prison services ended up burning these uniforms on site,” say witnesses who wonder why she insisted on “taking these clothes home while they can be washed here”.

The small East African nation’s most dangerous and guarded inmate is isolated in a three-door cell. The six keys to this cell are guarded by the provincial police commissioner in Gitega, the local representative of the SNR (National Intelligence Service) and director Nishimwe. But that does not prevent the former Hutu rebel from obtaining telephones in particular.

Before seeing her husband that same Friday, another incident had occurred. Hyacinthe Niyonkuru had to wait a long time. Normally, she must be searched by a brigadier-rank police officer but she refused, arguing that “you want to touch me when you haven’t even washed your hands.” The policewoman left never to return and it was only after a long time of waiting that one of her subordinates came to take care of the task.

A few days ago, famous Burundian activist Pacifique Nininahazwe in exile today, published another incident that happened at the same prison when one of Bunyoni’s daughters was visiting him. Joy Akimana was forced to undress to have access to her father on May 22.

Alain Guillaume Bunyoni was sentenced to a life jail in December 2023 by the first judge of the Supreme Court of Burundi. He appealed to the second level of the same Court. On May 28, the pleadings were closed. The President of the Supreme Court, Emmanuel Gateretse announced that the judges’ decision will be communicated within a period not exceeding one month, in accordance with the code of criminal procedure in force in Burundi.

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Former Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni and his wife Hyacinthe Niyonkuru in a religious ceremony in Rutana in southeastern Burundi, November 22, 2020, photo credit : RTNB