Burundi : SNR arrests Deputy Migration Commissioner General Romuald Ndababishije

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, October 19, 2026 — Police Brigadier General Romuald Ndababishije, Deputy Commissioner General of Migration, was arrested last weekend in Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital. According to several police sources, he is held by the National Intelligence Service (SNR). The reasons for his arrest remain unknown, while unverified reports suggest a possible money laundering scheme related to obtaining passports.

According to information gathered by SOS Médias Burundi, the high-ranking officer was apprehended by SNR agents in the city where he resides and where the offices of the General Commissariat of Migration are located. Police sources confirmed his arrest and detention by the intelligence services in Bujumbura.

Members of his team were also reportedly arrested, according to our sources. “They don’t answer the phone when we call their cell phones,” at least three people who tried to contact them told SOS Médias Burundi.

The precise circumstances of the arrest remain unclear. Our newsroom was unable to determine whether the general was arrested at his home or elsewhere, or whether his residence was searched.

Information that SOS Médias Burundi has not been able to verify suggests that the high-ranking officer allegedly demanded money from two people seeking passports. These individuals are reportedly employees of the Burundian presidency. However, several police sources and people who know him believe it is unlikely that he would have been involved in such a scheme. These assessments, however, neither confirm nor deny the allegations.

Prior to his arrest, Police Brigadier General Romuald Ndababishije had returned last Friday from a mission in Ethiopia that lasted several days, according to information gathered by SOS Médias Burundi.

“As of now, we do not know the reasons for his arrest. In fact, few people are willing to talk about it,” says an associate. Other sources close to his family indicate that he had appeared anxious for several months, though they did not specify the reasons for this concern.

No official statement regarding the arrest was available as of Monday afternoon. The spokesperson for the Burundi National Police (PNB) was not available for comment.

A service facing persistent difficulties

For several years, Burundi’s migration services have grappled with recurring challenges, particularly regarding the issuance of passports. Applicants report having to wait as long as a year to obtain the document. Despite promises from the authorities to improve the situation, the delays continue to be a source of complaints.

A background in the former security apparatus

General Romuald Ndababishije comes from the pre-existing Burundian security structures—those that existed before the integration of former Hutu-dominated rebel movements into the country’s security institutions. This integration process was part of the peace-building efforts that followed the signing of the Arusha Agreement in August 2000, which concluded a decade of civil war that, according to the United Nations, claimed more than 300,000 lives.

The conflict erupted following the October 1993 assassination of Melchior Ndadaye, Burundi’s first democratically elected Hutu president. The ensuing violence included massacres of Tutsi civilians in several regions of the country.