Days after Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni made the allegation that “powerful people” were attempting to overthrow him, Burundi’s president has fired him.
The move to fire Bunyoni was approved by all 113 members of the ruling party in an unanimous vote in parliament on Wednesday morning.
The dismissal was not explained during the 30-minute meeting. Last week, President Ndayishimiye declared that he would foil any plots against him.
The new prime minister is Gervais Ndirakobuca, who is currently the interior minister. He served as an army general, police commissioner, and rebel commander in the past.
His nickname was “Ndakugarika” meaning ‘I will kill you’ in Kirundi language. After the war ended, he joined Burundi police rising to the rank of Commissioner lieutenant-general. He deployed excessive force to quell the 2015 civil protests that followed the amendment of the constitution which gave President Pierre Nkurunziza the legal right to run for a third term.
At least 1,700 people were killed during the protest. International Criminal Court opened an investigation against government officials involved in the crackdown including Ndirakobuca.
Despite this, President Evariste appointed him to a powerful position of Minister of Interior in 2020 making Ndirakobuca the most internationally sanctioned member of Burundi national government cabinet.
He was seen as a de facto deputy prime minister with his overwhelming portfolio across three key ministries of Interior, Security and Community Development in the previous government of President Pierre Nkurunziza but was merged into a single ministry by President Evariste and given to Ndirakobuca.