Former 2nd Deputy-President Alice Nzomukunda came back to Burundi on 20 January 2017, after four years of exile in Belgium. She came with Joseph Ntidendereza and Mathias Basabose, two other politicians of the opposition.
Alice Nzomukunda at Bujumbura International Airport.
“Some time ago I was not in Burundi. I want to correct some people who say that I was a refugee”, said Alice Nzomukunda, former Second Deputy President, explaining that insecurity was the cause of her remaining abroad since 2012.
Nzomukunda said the inter-Burundian dialogue was an opportunity for her to decide her return to the country: “The start of the talks gave us an opportunity to discuss with people who live in Burundi and some authorities who manage the country, to whom we expressed our nostalgia to come back home.”
Edouard Nduwimana, Burundi Ombudsman said the return of the politicians is one of the results of the Arusha inter-Burundian dialogue. He also said there are other politicians who want to come back to their country.
«People who were in Arusha asked us to take a short trip to Bujumbura and see how the land lies in the country and then decide whether or not they should return. That’s what we came to do”, said Nzomukunda.
Jérémie Minani, in charge of communication in the opposition platform-CNARED, said Alice Nzomukunda and Mathias Basabose were no longer members of the platform. He, however, said CNARED was worried about the return of Ntidendereza to Burundi.
“About Nzomukunda and Basabose, we have nothing to say. They were already excluded from the CNARED Board. But, Ntidendereza is one of the members of CNARED Executive Committee. We wonder whether he is going to remain our member or work for the Burundi government “, said Minani.
“My return to Burundi does not mean that I stop my political activities in the opposition platform. I am still a member of CNARED, I am also a finance commissioner in the CNARED Board”, said Joseph Ntidendereza on 21 February, the day after his arrival in Burundi.
Alice Nzomukunda, Mathias Basabose and Joseph Ntidendereza were both members of CNARED Board. Nzomukunda opted for the opposing camp in 2007 and fled the country for security reasons.
She continued her political activities and created her own party ADR (Democratic Alliance for the Renewal). She presented herself as a candidate in the Burundian presidential election of 2010. After losing the elections, she went to Belgium in 2012 and her party joined the platform of opposition parties-CNARED, which was created by some exiled politicians following Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to stand for a third controversial term in office in 2015.
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