Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, the country’s former prime minister, is missing, according to the authorities, who have initiated a search for him.
At a press conference on Wednesday in Bujumbura, Interior Affairs Minister Martin Niteretse stated that Mr. Bunyoni was wanted, but he did not know the purpose of the operation.
“The General Prosecutor’s Office needed some inquiries from the former prime minister over some suspicious cases…he wasn’t found…we are waiting for their findings,” he said.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned of a potential coup attempt against him and other high-ranking government officials “who think they are untouchable” in September of last year, which led to Bunyoni’s dismissal.
Former police commissioner Bunyoni served as prime minister for two years. During the administration of late president Pierre Nkurunziza, he had also held the position of Minister for Internal Security.
The former prime minister “had been warned in advance that the noose was going to tighten on him, he disappeared into the wild before the arrival of the police”, a senior military official told newsmen on condition of anonymity.
A senior police officer was detained, according to the official, for reportedly notifying Bunyoni about the search operations.
There were rumours that Alfred Museremu, the head of internal intelligence, had also been imprisoned in relation to Bunyoni’s disappearance.
The former prime minister is currently wanted, thus Niteretse remarked, “What I know is that Museremu was not arrested, but he was relieved of his duties.”
However, he told reporters that a police colonel had been arrested without going into any detail.
“Désiré Uwamahoro, I heard that he is being held at the prosecutor general’s office, and I don’t know what it’s about, but I think we will know all about this when the time comes…I can’t interfere,” he said.