The zone chief, Mao Mbazumutima, had already been cited in another case relating to the illicit marketing of fuel.
The GASENYI zone chief in the Buganda commune of the CIBITOKE province (north western of Burundi) has just spent 4 days in solitary confinement at the provincial police station. He is accused of involvement in illicit fuel trading.
Mao Mbazumutima, Chef de zone Gasenyi, was arrested on April 15. He was in the vicinity of the Rusizi river. According to local sources, he was accompanied by a group of members of the Imbonerakure militia. According to these sources, they had gone there to pick up a parcel from the Democratic Republic of Congo containing 800 liters of fuel. The Imbonerakure group were to act as carriers, while the zone chief, Mao Mbazumutima, was to act as courier, to ensure the safety of the parcel.
However, the plan was foiled by soldiers guarding the border. They arrested the zone chief, who has since been lodged in the dungeon of the provincial police station in the provincial capital of Cibitoke.
The zone chief, Mao Mbazumutima, had already been cited in another case relating to the illicit marketing of fuel. On April 12, a group of imbonerakure were caught in possession of 500 liters of fuel, and another group was caught with 800 liters on April 15. The fuel had been stolen from the KABU-16 dam construction site. According to our sources, the young men arrested had named Mao Mbazumutima as the owner of the fuel.
