Burundi arrests 4 former army officials in connection to assassination of former ruler
Saturday November 24 2018
Burundi state prosecutor Sylvestre Nyandwi. He said on November 24, 2018, that four former military official had been arrested in connection to thee assassination of Burundi’s first democratically elected president Melchior Ndadaye. PHOTO | MOSES HAVYARIMANA | NMG
Burundian authorities have arrested four former military officials suspected of playing a role in the assassination of the country’s first democratically elected President Melchior Ndadaye in 1993.
State prosecutor Sylvestre Nyandwi on Saturday said prosecution had evidence that the four conspired to execute President Ndadaye.
“We took our time to gather evidence and the case is still pending in the Supreme Court so we are doing this in order to fight against impunity in our country,” said Nyandwi.
He, however, did not reveal the identity of the soldiers arrested but added that more suspects will be arrested in connection to the foul play.
“We are going to continue with our investigation and then bring them to court,” he added.
President Ndadaye, a Hutu, was assassinated three months after coming into office on October 21, 1993.
His assassination sparked ethnic violence that spiralled into a decade long civil war claiming more than 300,000 lives.
UN investigation report on the murder accused the army command of the assassination.
President Ndadaye is considered as the country’s hero for democracy and was the founder of the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) —then considered a Hutu majority party.