Burundi : Police Brigadier General Bertin Gahungu jailed in Mpimba, reasons for his detention still unknown

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, September 6, 2025 — Police Brigadier General Bertin Gahungu was transferred on Saturday, September 6, at 4:30 PM to Bujumbura Central Prison, commonly known as Mpimba, after spending more than two weeks in the National Intelligence Service (SNR) cells. Arrested on August 21 in Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital, the high-ranking officer remains deprived of his liberty, with no official statement having been made regarding the reasons for his arrest.

According to sources close to the case, a few days before his transfer, security services searched his home and computer, without discovering any compromising evidence. This uncertainty surrounding his detention fuels speculation in a tense political and security context.

A tense arrest

General Gahungu was summoned to the Intelligence Service of the Burundi National Police (PNB) on Thursday, August 21, around noon. He arrived in his double-decker van, accompanied by four bodyguards. There, the head of police intelligence, Colonel Arthémon Nzitabakuze, informed him of his arrest.

According to witnesses, the general then protested :

“You can’t arrest me because you’re my subordinate.”

The colonel reportedly replied that an arrest warrant was being issued. Shortly after, SNR agents arrived with the official warrant and arrested him. The general’s vehicle was searched—without result—and his bodyguards were disarmed and briefly detained before being released that evening.

A young relative also arrested

The case took another turn with the arrest of a young man close to the Gahungu family, a student in China and on vacation in Burundi. The latter, raised by the general’s family, was arrested an hour after the bodyguards’ release. According to witness accounts, the agents were interested in his whereabouts, particularly through photos shown to the guards.

One hypothesis : online activity deemed subversive?

Although the authorities have not confirmed anything to date, a source close to the family indicates that General Gahungu could be suspected of using an anonymous social media account, accused of damaging the country’s image. This accusation is difficult to verify and has not yet given rise to any public proceedings.

A son already jailed in Mpimba

This case comes as the eldest son of General Gahungu, an officer in the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB), is also imprisoned in Mpimba. Gahungu was acquitted over a year ago in a murder case involving one of his police friends, but he remains in detention without a clear motive.

The arrest of General Bertin Gahungu and members of his entourage raises many gray areas. In the absence of official communication, it is difficult to distinguish fact from speculation. This case highlights the persistent opacity surrounding judicial and detention procedures in Burundi.