Burundi’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition filed by politician Agathon Rwasa in a dispute over the leadership of the opposition CNL party, ruling that the case was unfounded, improperly brought and therefore inadmissible.
In a ruling delivered in a public hearing on August 7, 2026, the Supreme Court addressed the long-running dispute over the leadership of the CNL, a party founded by Rwasa in 2019.
According to the ruling, the petition filed by the statutory members of the CNL’s 2019 Political Bureau was “unfounded, improperly brought, unrelated to the subject of the main dispute, and consequently inadmissible.”
The court’s decision came later than expected. A ruling had initially been anticipated around mid-September, following proceedings at a previous hearing held in July.
Reacting to the judgment in local media, Rwasa said he was dissatisfied with the decision and intended to pursue further legal proceedings.
“In its conclusion, the Administrative Chamber claimed that our complaint was inadmissible and that our application had been improperly brought, relying mainly on the fact that the Minister of the Interior, in a letter dated March 18, 2024, recognized the results or the so-called representatives of the party,” Rwasa said.
He argued that the minister’s position was contrary to Burundi’s law governing political parties.
“The law on political parties provides that the acts of a political party are simply communicated to the competent authority as information; the acts do not require approval by the minister,” he said.
Rwasa also argued that the concept of the government “taking note” of a party’s internal decisions does not appear in the legislation governing political parties, but is instead applicable to non-profit organizations.
Dispute dates back to 2024
The leadership dispute dates back to March 2024, when the Ministry of the Interior recognized the results of an extraordinary congress of CNL members that elected Nestor Girukwishika as leader of the party.
The Supreme Court’s ruling indicated that the party members who considered themselves affected by the decision should instead bring a case against the Ministry of the Interior.
Rwasa and his supporters have been pursuing legal action since April 2024. During that period, Rwasa repeatedly criticized what he described as delays in the judicial handling of the case, arguing that the proceedings were being used to prevent him from continuing his political activities.
The rival faction led by Girukwishika said it would comment on the ruling after studying the court’s decision. Terence Manirambona, the party’s spokesperson, told BREAKING BURUNDI that the faction would issue a statement “later, after reading the verdict.”
Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Rwasa told local newspaper Iwacu he intended to remain politically active.
“I believe there are alternatives. We are preparing for the 2027 elections, and we believe that if the rule of law can have its place in this country, there is still a possibility for us to participate in those elections,” he said.
