Former leader of Burundi ruling party Hussein Radjabu escapes from prison

Burundian police patrol the streets of Bujumbura. Former leader of Burundi’s ruling party CNDD-FDD Hussein Radjabu has gone “missing” from the central prison where he was serving a 13-year jail term for plotting against the country’s security. PHOTO | FILE | AFP  

By MOSES HAVYARIMANA

In Summary

• Radjabu was accused of jeopardising Burundi’s internal security by revolting ex-army combatants and was sentenced in April 2008.
• Prosper Niyoyankana, the lawyer representing Radjabu asked the government to reveal the whereabouts of his client.
• AFP reported that a source close to the president said Radjabu's 'escape' was a "major blow" for Nkurunziza -- because of his "ability to cause trouble". 

The former leader of Burundi’s ruling party CNDD-FDD Hussein Radjabu has gone “missing” from the central prison where he was serving a 13-year jail term for plotting against the country’s security.

Radjabu, who disappeared with two other inmates and a prison head, was accused of jeopardising Burundi’s internal security by revolting ex-army combatants and was sentenced in April 2008.

“Hussein went missing since today early morning at around 3:00am CAT together with the head of security in Mpimba prison,” said the Astere Serusina, the head of Bujumbura Central prison (Mpimba).

Prosper Niyoyankana, the lawyer representing Radjabu asked the government to reveal the whereabouts of his client.

He said recent request for amnesty from the president had been declined and “instead they put him in a special room separating him from others. Now we need the Burundian government to reveal where he was taken because it is accountable for my client’s security.”

Radjabu was part of a coordination team that played a key role in both the political wing CNDD and the military wing FDD getting into power in 2005, since the party’s formation in 1994.

In 2005, CNDD-FDD was registered as a legal political party and Radjabu took over the leadership as the chairman, when Pierre Nkurunziza first became president, until February 2007 when he was ousted by the party congress.

This comes amid mounting pressure in the run up to June presidential elections when Nkurunziza is expected to seek for a third term that the opposition and civil society groups say is unconstitutional.

AFP reported that a source close to the president said Radjabu's escape was a "major blow" for Nkurunziza -- because of his "ability to cause trouble". 

Police spokesman Liboire Bakundukize told AFP Radjabu "was helped by at least three guards, including the chief warden in charge of the prison's security," admitting that several other prison guards were fast asleep during the escape and that two cars were waiting to pick up Radjabu and his co-conspirators.

Additional reporting AFP