CNDD-FDD wants repatriation of political leaders, some to face justice

Evariste Ndayishimiye, Secretary General of the ruling party CNDD FDD

At a press conference that Evariste Ndayishimiye, the secretary general of the ruling party, held yesterday after his visit to Benjamin Mkapa the facilitator in the inter-Burundian dialogue, he said he asked him to help in the repatriation of exiled politicians by reassuring them and convincing their host countries to let them go.” We asked the facilitator to help us reassure those political leaders who fled because of fear or other personal interest but who have no blood on their hands”, he said. Those need to come back and develop the nation together with other citizens.

As for those who have committed crimes, Ndayishimiye said there is a duty “to convince their host countries to deport them so that they can face justice”. The party in power will not accept that the government negotiates with those criminals. “Justice is not negotiated. Either those criminals are judged or their crimes go unpunished. But there is an international principle requiring every nation to fight against impunity”, said Evariste Ndayishimiye.

Many people have fled Burundi to neighboring countries since last April 2015 when President Nkurunziza announced he would run for a third controversial term in office, a decision that resulted in a political crisis that is still going on. The UNHCR reported on 23 September that the number of Burundians who went into exile is 300.000. The government quickly declined those figures and said only 250.000 had fled the country and that 100.000 refugees had already come back home. Among those exiled Burundians, there were many political leaders of the opposition who could not live safely in the country.