A former Burundian Prime Minister, Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, has been apprehended following a court order that had been issued for his arrest. The authorities had not previously disclosed the reasons for the warrant. The National Independent Commission for Human Rights (CNIDH) and a high-ranking security official confirmed the arrest on Saturday.
Bunyoni served as Prime Minister of Burundi from June 2020 until he was dismissed from his post by President Evariste Ndayishimiye on September 7. He was replaced by Gervais Ndirakobuca, who previously held the position of Interior Minister.
For quite some time, Mr. Bunyoni had been viewed as the de facto second-in-command of the regime, particularly in the aftermath of the political turmoil that unfolded in 2015. He was known to be a key figure among the hardline faction of generals who wielded significant power behind the scenes.
Since independence in 1962, Burundi has been the scene of numerous massacres and conflicts between the Hutu and Tutsi communities, respectively estimated at 85% and 14% of its population.