Esdras Ndikumana, a Burundian journalist for Agence France-Presse (AFP) and employee of France's Radio France Internationale (RFI), publicly stated that on Sunday he was arrested by government security forces and badly beaten at the location where a top Burundi general was assassinated.
Esdras Ndikumana, a Burundian journalist for Agence France-Presse (AFP) and employee of France's Radio France Internationale (RFI), publicly stated that on Sunday he was arrested by government security forces and badly beaten at the location where a top Burundi general was assassinated.
Mr. Ndikumana said that he was photographing the site of the attack in Bujumbura, Burundi's capital, when National Intelligence Service agents arrested and brought him into their offices.
Mr. Ndikumana claimed that during the two hour period he was held for, he was the subject of nearly fatal beating on the legs, back, and feet before being released.
The Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, Christophe Deloire, has said that the "despicable assault" on Ndikumana is "tantamount to torture."
On behalf of Mr. Ndikumana, RFI submitted an official complaint to Burundian authorities. It will also submit a joint letter with AFP demanding that there be no repeat action of injustice against their employees.
This incident speaks to the burgeoning political crisis in Burundi. After Pierre Nkurunziza was voted in for a highly controversial third term on July 21st, tensions have increased palpably. Many independent media outlets have shut down and many journalists have fled from the country into exile.
Just a week after President Pierre Nkurunziza was declared the winner of Burundi's presidential elections, General Adolphe Nshimirimana was assassinated Sunday morning when four men attacked him in broad daylight at the capital. General Adolphe was Nkurunziza’s aide and adviser, the internal security chief, and thought to be second only to Mr. Nkurunziza in the country.
Moreover, many who opposed Mr. Nkunziza's party went reported as missing during the season of unrest before the elections. Grenades were thrown into the home of a radio reporter named Diane Nininahazwe, who has drawn media coverage on the criminal activities in northwestern Burundi.
The African Union and the US have urged calm in the country following the assassination of General Nshimirimana. In a statement by the US Department of State, spokesperson Mark C. Toner said the U.S. “urges calm and restraint in the aftermath of the attack. We call on all sides to renounce violence and to redouble their efforts to engage in a transparent, inclusive, and comprehensive political dialogue.”
The assassination perpetuates more violence in the East African nation, further destabilizing the political environment.
The African Union Commission Chairwoman, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said in a statement on the organization's website that Burundians should "exercise utmost restraint, not be proved and refrain from any acts of retaliation that would only further escalate and complicate the already bad situation."