Simon Bizimungu, a Member of Parliament from the opposition National Congress for Liberty (CNL) and a close ally of prominent opposition leader Agathon Rwasa, has raised serious concerns over what he describes as a disturbing wave of arrests and abductions targeting supporters aligned with Rwasa’s faction within the party.
Speaking to local broadcaster Bonesha FM earlier on Friday, Bizimungu revealed that at least 15 individuals affiliated with the pro-Rwasa wing of the party are currently in detention, although their whereabouts and the legal grounds for their arrests remain unclear.
“In recent days, we have witnessed the arrest and abduction of members of the CNL party who support Member of Parliament Agathon Rwasa,” Bizimungu said. “This situation is deeply concerning because it seems to be something unusual in a country governed by the rule of law.”
Bizimungu refrained from providing a specific number of abduction cases but insisted the pattern of disappearances signals an escalation. “Most of these cases are not even proper arrests—we would rather call them abductions—because no one knows whether the individuals were officially taken into custody,” he said.
According to Bizimungu, families of the missing individuals report that their loved ones vanished without explanation. “A man leaves home for work after saying goodbye to his family, and later the family is told that he has disappeared. They search for him, but to this day, his place of detention remains unknown.”
The CNL, founded in 2019 by Agathon Rwasa, has been a key opposition force in Burundian politics. However, in early 2024, the party was plunged into turmoil following a leadership dispute that led to Rwasa’s controversial dismissal. The decision, rejected by Bizimungu and other loyalists, ignited internal divisions and an ongoing legal battle over the legitimacy of the party’s new leadership.
Bizimungu, who served as the party’s secretary general, has remained a vocal defender of Rwasa’s leadership. He argued that the move to oust Rwasa violated the party’s statutes and continues to deepen the crisis within the CNL.
On Friday, Bizimungu called on law enforcement and judicial authorities to intervene and ensure due process is followed. “When someone commits a crime and the law is not followed in the way they are arrested, that becomes a problem. The country is founded on laws—those laws must be followed,” he said.
He further warned that the reported abductions risk tarnishing Burundi’s international image. “When people start saying that abductions are happening in a country, the country begins to gain a negative image. The first step that should be taken is to ensure that all actions follow legal procedures,” he said.
The remarks come just two months ahead of legislative elections, a period marked by growing calls for political tolerance, calm, and inclusivity. The government has yet to officially respond to Bizimungu’s claims.
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