Former Burundi Prime Minister Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni Faces Trial on Charges of Undermining National Security and Insulting the President.
Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, a former influential prime minister of Burundi, appeared in court on Thursday, September 28th, facing charges of undermining national security and insulting the president, according to a judicial source and witnesses. Bunyoni, who held the position of Prime Minister since June 2020, was dismissed in September 2022 shortly after President Evariste Ndayishimiye raised concerns about hints of a “coup d’état.” Bunyoni was considered a powerful figure within the regime and leader of the hardliners among the generals operating behind the scenes.
He was arrested in Bujumbura, Burundi’s economic capital, in April of the same year and has been detained in Gitega, the political capital, since then. The trial began before the Supreme Court, and the hearing took place within the confines of the prison. Witnesses reported that Bunyoni appeared at the hearing dressed in the green uniform typical of prisoners in Burundi.
He highlighted the harsh conditions of his detention, stating that he was allowed only 30 minutes of exposure to the sun. Bunyoni, who suffers from severe type B diabetes, expressed concerns about his health and requested release on bail. The court is expected to rule on this request within 48 hours.
Bunyoni faces charges of “undermining the internal security of the state, undermining the smooth running of the national economy, and personal enrichment.” Additionally, he is accused of illegal possession of weapons and insulting the President. As a close ally of former President Pierre Nkurunziza, Bunyoni wielded significant influence within the ruling CNDD-FDD party.
Despite some signs of a more open political environment since Evariste Ndayishimiye assumed power in June 2020, following the sudden death of Pierre Nkurunziza, a UN commission of inquiry noted in September 2021 that the human rights situation in Burundi remained “disastrous.” Burundi, a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region, ranks as the world’s poorest nation in terms of GDP per capita, according to the World Bank.