Deputy Jean Baptiste Sindayigaya claims to have been violently assaulted by armed men in Bujumbura, the commercial city. He mentioned an attempted kidnapping. The Ministry of Security categorically denies and speaks of a simple skirmish between alcohol-based motorists. Two diametrically opposed versions, against the backdrop of increasing tensions in the country.
Deputy Jean Baptiste Sindayigaya, co-opted representative of the Batwa community in the National Assembly of Burundi, claims to have been the victim of a particularly violent kidnapping attempt on the evening of Saturday, May 10, in Bujumbura. According to his statements, the attack occurred at the Gare du Nord in the north of the economic capital.
Intercepted by a group of armed men, one in police uniform, the deputy claims that his attackers tried to force him to get into a trivialized vehicle. “I saw inside a tortured person, covered with blood,” he said. His screams are said to have attracted the attention of local residents and local policemen. A confrontation ensued, and the assailants reportedly fled. The Member claims to have been bullied, injured in the eye, and stripped of FBu 500,000 and a telephone.
It states that it has brought cases before them several authorities, including the Prime Minister, the Ombudsman and the Minister of the Interior. “If even the elected representatives of the people are no longer safe, what about ordinary citizens? he wondered in a message addressed to SOS Media Burundi.
The Ministry of National Security denies
Less than 48 hours after these allegations, the Burundian Ministry of National Security formally denied the facts. In a statement issued on Monday 12 May by his spokesman, Pierre Nkurikiye, he spoke of “pure rumours without foundation”.
According to this version, the incident is the result of a hook between five vehicles, which occurred in a traffic jam. An altercation would have broken out between drivers, including MP Sindayigaya. Some, “probably under the influence of alcohol,” according to the ministry, were taken out of their vehicle to resolve the situation without seeking the intervention of the police officers nearby. A policeman was reportedly injured in the fight.
The Ministry states that investigations are under way to establish responsibilities and recalls that the consumption of alcohol while driving is a crime.
A sensitive political context
The case takes on a particular dimension in a pre-election context in the early and tense elections in the run-up to the legislative and communal elections scheduled for next June. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burundi, Fortuné Gaétan zongo, warned as early as 2024 of the upsurge in kidnappings and targeted violence against opponents and critical voices.
The deputy Sindayigaya, a representative of the Batwa minority, is known for his frank positions. He did not rule out the fact that the aggression was linked to his commitment and called on the President of the Republic to order an impartial and transparent investigation.
There are two accounts. But in a climate of mistrust and impunity, the case raises concerns about the use of security forces for political purposes and the protection of elected officials and citizens, regardless of their status.
