On August 17th, some offices of the National Congress for Freedom-CNL were vandalized by unknown people in Kanyosha neighborhood of Muha commune in the south of Bujumbura. The administration denies the existence of CNL offices in the locality.
A CNL party office was destroyed in Musama locality of Kanyosha zone in Bujumbura city
“We were preparing to inaugurate nine offices in Kanyosha area in Muha commune on Saturday when a group of people disturbed our activities,” says Térence Manirambona, Spokesperson for the National Congress for Freedom-CNL party.
The party members were beaten, its office in Musama locality was destroyed and some other offices were vandalized on the same day, he adds.
“We decided to suspend the official inauguration of those offices in Kanyosha neighborhood to avoid further clashes,” says Mr. Manirambona.
He deplores the violation of the law governing political parties in Burundi. He says they had informed the local administration about their activities.
For him, any political party has the right to establish offices in any locality.
He calls on CNL party members to avoid clashes with members of other political parties.
“The CNL party office was destroyed on Saturday night. We spent the night here to guard it since it could be officially opened on Sunday,” says Gaspard Manirakiza, a resident of Musama locality in Kanyosha zone. He is also the owner of the destroyed house.
He says the office was destroyed by a group of more than 40 people at the head of which were some leaders of the area.
Mr. Manirakiza says the group of criminals came with pickaxes and machetes. “They started beating us while others were destroying the house,” he says, showing wounds on his head.
He says justice should identify those criminals so they can be punished and compensate the victims.
“We need peace in our locality. We don’t need war anymore. Enough is enough,” says a resident from Busoro locality of Kanyosha neighborhood where another CNL party office was vandalized.
As for Pasteur Daniel Kabura, Administrator of Muha commune, he says there are no officially known CNL offices in that commune.
He also says that CNL officials had not informed the local administration that they were going to open offices in Kanyosha zone.
“As CNL is a new political party, its leaders should inform the administration whenever they want to open an office so we make sure there is no other party’s office in the same place,” he says.
For him, no person is allowed to destroy a house belonging to other people. Every criminal must appear before the court and has to be punished according to the law.
“All political parties have the right to conduct their political activities in the country,” says Mr. Kabura adding that activities of political parties should respect the law and promote peace.
It’s not the first time that CNL offices are vandalized and its members beaten. On June 15th, the office of CNL party established in Nyabiraba commune of Bujumbura province was set ablaze and destroyed.
On July 15th, clashes erupted between Imbonerakure (youth of CNDD FDD party) and Inyankamugayo (Members of CNL party) in Gashikanwa and Kiremba communes of Ngozi province in the north of the country.
IWACU Open Data
