In a significant legal development, Burundi’s Supreme Court has handed down a life sentence to the ousted Prime Minister, Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni.
The charges against him include attempting to overthrow the government and endangering the president’s life. Bunyoni, who held the position from mid-2020 until his removal in September 2022, was accused of utilizing witchcraft, compromising national security, destabilizing the economy, and unlawful enrichment.
The court, meeting in the political capital Gitega, also issued orders to seize four residences, buildings, a land parcel, and 14 vehicles belonging to Bunyoni. Chief Justice Emmanuel Gateretse delivered the verdict, which included sentences ranging from three to 15 years for five other defendants, while a seventh defendant, a driver, was acquitted.
Bunyoni, once a powerful figure in Burundi’s ruling party CNDD-FDD, had long been considered a key player in the country’s political landscape.
Associated with the “generals,” a group of military officers wielding political influence, he was detained in April in Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital, on the eve of his 51st birthday.
The ousted prime minister, a close associate of former President Pierre Nkurunziza, had been a prominent member of the ruling party since 2005.
His influence persisted, making him the de facto number two in the regime following a 2015 political crisis. President Evariste Ndayishimiye assumed power in June 2020 after Nkurunziza’s death, aiming to lead Burundi out of isolation.
Despite international praise for these efforts, the country’s human rights record remains concerning, and it continues to face economic challenges.
