The national coordinator of the human rights organization ALUCHOTO, Vianney Ndayisaba, says his life is in danger following what he described as an attempted kidnapping on Sunday evening near his residence in Bujumbura, Burundi’s economic capital.
At a press conference on Monday, Ndayisaba said the incident occurred around 5 p.m. in Maramvya zone, Mutimbuzi commune, north of Bujumbura. He told journalists that unknown individuals, allegedly linked to the police, attempted to abduct him but were deterred by the vigilance of his bodyguards.
“As the representative of ALUCHOTO organization, I narrowly escaped abduction last night,” Ndayisaba said.
According to his account, a white pickup truck without license plates arrived at the scene carrying individuals dressed in police uniforms and armed with several weapons. Shortly afterward, a man in civilian clothing, carrying a pistol, reportedly approached and began asking for Ndayisaba by name.
“A man walked around where we were and asked, ‘Which one is Vianney?’,” he said, adding that his security detail remained alert, preventing the situation from escalating.
Advocacy on Land Disputes
Ndayisaba attributed the alleged abduction attempt to his organization’s work on land-related conflicts, which often involve vulnerable citizens such as widows, orphans, and low-income families. ALUCHOTO has frequently accused powerful individuals, including senior government officials, of abusing their authority to seize land in defiance of court rulings.
He pointed to accusations he publicly raised in December during a public press conference organized by President Évariste Ndayishimiye, where he cited multiple cases of land confiscation allegedly involving influential figures.
One case highlighted involved a woman identified as Jeanne Tunuguru, a resident of Rubirizi zone in northern Bujumbura. According to Ndayisaba, Tunuguru won her case in court and was granted protection by authorities, yet her land was later seized.
“Our investigations at ALUCHOTO show that powerful figures are involved, including former ministers and a former member of parliament who built on the land,” he said, calling for urgent legal action.
Alleged Death Threats
Ndayisaba also claimed he has received repeated threats, including death threats, which intensified after his public denunciations of land injustice.
“I have received numerous threatening messages telling me to stop following cases involving certain people,” he said. “They tell me that if I value my life, I should withdraw. I am being threatened with death.”
He confirmed that he has formally reported the threats and the attempted kidnapping to the police and other relevant authorities. As of publication, the police had not issued any official response.
Concerns Over Human Rights Climate
The human rights defender used the press conference to criticize what he described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Burundi, citing intimidation, harassment of activists, and the silencing of dissenting voices.
“If we are truly in a democratic system, then individuals who act as untouchables—whether in the ruling party, the administration, the judiciary, the police, or intelligence services—must be removed and punished,” Ndayisaba said. “Such practices must be strictly prohibited.”
He warned that failure to address impunity could push the country back into instability, arguing that democracy cannot exist where court decisions are ignored and critics are threatened.
Vianney Ndayisaba is known for speaking out on sensitive issues, including land disputes, controversial court rulings, and prison conditions—topics rarely discussed openly in Burundi. Since the 2015 political crisis, many independent activists and human rights defenders have fled the country, making ALUCHOTO one of the few organizations still publicly challenging abuses inside Burundi.
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