How Burundi opposition party leader was dethroned while on a trip to Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. Agathon Rwasa, the leader of Burundi's main opposition party, was controversially removed from his position while he was on a trip to Tanzania. The National Freedom Congress (CNL), which Rwasa founded in 2019, held a meeting in his absence and elected Nestor Girukwishaka as the new president of the party for a five-year term.

Rwasa initially opposed this congress, but Burundian security forces intervened heavily, including arresting individuals suspected of disrupting the meeting. African opposition figures have since come together in support of Rwasa, with the Pan African Opposition Leaders Network condemning the Burundian government for allegedly working to unlawfully change the party's leadership.

Members of this network include Martha Karua from Narc Kenya, Dorothy Semu from Act-Wazalendo Tanzania, Zitto Kabwe - ACT-Wazalendo former party leader, John Mnyika from Chadema in Tanzania, Kizza Besigye from Uganda, and Yassine Fall from Senegal’s Pastef.

“We expect Burundi and indeed all the countries in our Jumuiya [community] and the continent to be working to strengthen the state of democracy, rule of law, and human rights and not to destroy it. Strong opposition parties are a necessary component of multiparty democracy and work for the benefit of the people, our subregion, our continent, and the world,” they said in a joint statement.

ACT-Wazalendo, the party Rwasa was attending a convention for in Tanzania, has stated that Rwasa remains the legitimate leader of CNL and called on Burundian authorities to respect democratic principles and refrain from interfering in opposition party affairs.

“We call upon the Burundian authorities to refrain from the unjustified interference in the affairs of the Congres Nationale pour la Liberte or any other opposition group and to uphold the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights outlined in the East African Community Treaty,” said Mwanaisha Mdeme, Secretary for Foreign Affairs for ACT-Wazalendo.

Mr Rwasa has been Burundi’s opposition chief since 2020, seeking to challenge the policies of the ruling party, CNDD-FDD. And ahead of the legislative elections next year, the new leadership in the CNL has raised concerns from opposition groups about interference.

Burundian authorities did not immediately respond to the allegations, even though police unusually watched over the congress.

Party wrangles

The meeting also came at a time when the CNL political activities were suspended by the Ministry of Internal Affairs after divisions in the party leadership broke out in early 2023.

A rift ensued in the executive committee after Mr Rwasa nominated his wife Annonciate Haberisoni for a seat in the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala). The leaders accused Mr Rwasa of selfishness.

Burundi's parliament approved Kathy Kezimana as the Eala MP for CNL’s slot despite her party rejecting her candidacy. CNL told The EastAfrican then that Ms Kezimana was not on the list it fronted.

Mr Rwasa accused the Burundi government of interfering with internal issues of the party, citing that party members were being harassed and arrested to prevent them from conducting CNL’s activities.

This is not the first time Mr Rwasa has lost his leadership. In 2010, he boycotted the general election, citing rigging and lack of transparency by the electoral commission. He fled the country and stayed in exile for almost three years. By the time he returned, his then-political party FNL had been taken over by Jacques Bigirimana.

In 2015, Mr Rwasa coalesced with others to form the Amizero y'Abarundi (Hope of Burundians). It lost that year’s presidential vote.

In 2019, he created the CNL which came second after the CNDD-FDD in the 2020 election.