Burundian Finance Minister Alain Ndikumana has publicly criticized PARCEM leader Faustin Ndikumana, accusing him of making statements aimed primarily at attracting attention or increasing online views, rather than offering constructive solutions to Burundi’s ongoing economic challenges.
The minister’s remarks came during a meeting held on Tuesday to approve a report by the National Financial Intelligence Unit (CNRF), which is responsible for monitoring unexplained wealth. Ndikumana’s comments appeared to echo recent statements by President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who last week publicly accused PARCEM’s chief of working “for the colonizers” — a reference widely understood to mean Western governments.
“I am not sure whether Faustin came here today — if we were to go and check, you’d probably find that he has a bank account in Luxembourg,” Minister Ndikumana said.
“Let’s stop talking just for the sake of getting views or attention. Every week, someone comes out with new commentaries, but what are you actually doing to reduce these problems? You can’t show any results.”
Faustin Ndikumana has long been a vocal critic of the government’s economic management. In a recent video posted on X, he warned that leadership failures are stalling meaningful reforms and mismanaging public resources:
“Where there is strong leadership, there must be rigor in the application of the law — and respect for the law. It will be difficult to tell others to follow the law if you yourself cannot set the example.
“Sometimes we see farmland owned by top officials, with DPAE employees blocked from inspecting it. Government fuel is used to visit ministers’ farms, and yet these same people are praised as ‘model farmers.’
“Planning reforms is one thing — waiting for them to actually benefit the country is another. What became of the Zero Charoi policy? Education reform? Program-based budgeting? Mining sector reforms? Vision 2025?”
Ndikumana also highlighted corruption, missing foreign currency, failing infrastructure, and human rights abuses as ongoing problems, stating:
“In this country, leadership is being eaten away by corruption. You’ll see luxury houses and cars belonging to officials, while public services, roads, universities, and hospitals fall apart. Citizens are silenced when they raise concerns. Good leadership accepts competition and accountability.”
Presidential Criticism Sparks Outrage
The Finance Minister’s remarks follow an unusually personal attack by President Ndayishimiye during a visit to Butanyerera, Ngozi Province, last week. The president accused Ndikumana of “failing to contribute anything to Burundi” and mocked him for not being married.
“He once worked at Interbank, but they fired him because he was useless,” Ndayishimiye said. “He now collaborates with the colonizers. He lives in a nice house, drives a car when there’s no fuel in the country — where does the money come from? Either he’s a thief or he’s using money from the colonizers.”
The president’s remarks triggered widespread debate, with critics accusing him of crossing a line by attacking a citizen’s personal life instead of addressing the substance of Ndikumana’s criticisms. Others saw it as part of a growing trend of intolerance toward dissenting voices in Burundi.
As of Wednesday, Faustin Ndikumana had not publicly responded to the attacks from either the president or the finance minister. Critics, however, have described the coordinated rhetoric against him as part of a broader effort to stifle civil society voices amid a deepening economic crisis.
Burundi continues to face mounting inflation, chronic fuel shortages, and pervasive corruption — problems that Ndikumana and other activists attribute to poor governance, weak accountability, and a persistent lack of transparency within state institutions.
Moïse Ndayiragije contributed reporting
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