BURUNDI: CHANGES IN PRESIDENT'S SENIOR STAFF

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUJUMBURA 000423

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/C

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR BY
SUBJECT: BURUNDI: CHANGES IN PRESIDENT'S SENIOR STAFF

REF: BUJUMBURA 025

Classified By: Ambassador Patricia Moller for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (U) Burundi's President Nkurunziza announced on May 31
changes in his two most senior staff positions. The new
Chief of Cabinet, Melchior Wagara, replaces Martin
Mbazumutima. The new Deputy Chief of Cabinet, Jean-Bosco
Ndikumana, replaces Melchiade Nzopfabarushe, who left the
position more than a month earlier to become Vice-President
of Burundi's Anti-Corruption Brigade.


New Chief of Cabinet
--------------


2. (SBU) New Chief of Cabinet Wagara's first position with
the Government of Burundi (GOB) was with the National Social
Security Institute (INSS) in 1994. He was removed from his
position in 1995, upon accusations of embezzlement.
Following his removal, Wagara became actively involved in the
crisis gripping the country, when he "entered the bush" and
joined the CNDD-FDD rebel movement.


3. (SBU) Wagara's most recent appointment with the GOB was as
General Director of COTEBU, Burundi's government-owned
textile company, after the CNDD-FDD's victory in the 2005
elections. His tenure there (2005-early 2006) was marked by
a series of general strikes, where company employees accused
him of corruption and embezzlement. He was eventually
removed from his position by the Minister of Commerce (Madame
Denise Sinankwa, currently the Minister of Finance).


New Deputy Chief of Cabinet
--------------


4. (SBU) Jean-Bosco Ndikumana, the new Deputy Chief of
Cabinet, most recently served in the GOB as the National
Prosecutor. Ndikumana unsuccessfully prosecuted the GOB's
case against seven individuals, including former President
Domitien Ndayizeye and former Vice-President Alphonse Kadege,
who were alleged to have threatened state security by
plotting to overthrow the government (Reftel).


5. (C) Comment. Considering the new Chief of Cabinet's
checkered background, it is unclear why the President chose
him for such a high-profile, and important, position. One
Burundian observer suggested that President Nkurunziza's
widely noted loyalty to former compatriots from his rebel
years in the bush may partially explain his choice of Wagara
as new Chief of Cabinet. He commented further that the Deputy
Chief of Cabinet is, however, a position where "one hasn't
the authority to cause much damage." Perhaps, as this
observer suggested, Ndikumana's new position could be
interpreted as a demotion, following the government's flawed
coup plotter trial (Reftel),where he can "do no further
harm." End Comment.
MOLLER