Burunga : search of the home of police colonel Moïse Arakaza, alias Nyeganyega

SOS Médias Burundi

Burunga, August 18, 2025 – A new episode has been added to the case of police colonel Moïse Arakaza, nicknamed Nyeganyega, who is prosecuted for undermining the national economy and attempted murder. On Sunday, August 17, his home in Muyange village, Nyanza district, in Burunga province (southern Burundi), was the subject of a major police search.

According to witnesses, the house was besieged at 3:00 a.m. by police officers from the Makamba provincial police station, supported by those from the Nyanza district police station. The operation, conducted under heavy surveillance, resulted in the seizure of several police uniforms and other items, the nature of which has not been officially specified. At the same time, the homes of three motorcycle riders living next to the colonel were also searched.

A look back at his arrest and his accomplices

On August 13, two drivers—Asmani Tuyihimbaze, from Muyange (Nyanza district), and Paul Ndagijimana, from Kabarore (Butanyerera province, in the north)—were arrested in Rumonge (the same province as Burunga) with 500 liters of contraband fuel hidden in a vehicle converted into a tanker. According to their confessions, they were working for Colonel Arakaza.

Tried in flagrante delicto the next day, they were sentenced to one year in prison, a fine of one million Burundi francs, and ordered to pay 500,000 francs in compensation to the state. The vehicle was confiscated, and the 500 liters of fuel seized will be auctioned off for the benefit of the public treasury. The two convicts were transferred to Murembwe prison, located in Rumonge.

On August 14, Colonel Arakaza himself was arrested in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, and detained in the judicial police’s cells at its headquarters. Before his arrest, he allegedly threatened officers with his weapon. He is prosecuted for undermining the national economy, abandoning his post, and attempted murder.

Grey areas

This case continues to raise many questions. Observers are surprised by the relative leniency of the sentences handed down, noting that some smugglers arrested with a single can of gasoline have received harsher sentences. Others emphasize that Colonel Arakaza and his alleged accomplices should be tried in the same case to clarify responsibilities.

Furthermore, the PNB (Burundi National Police) officer is cited in human rights violations in several regions of the country where he served as a district commissioner, in the north, south, and west. Some sources also report internal pressure within the police hierarchy to secure his release, which could compromise the investigation.

For the time being, the national police has not provided any official statement.