BURUNDI'S FORMER PRESIDENT NDAYIZEYE FEARS FOR HIS

UNCLAS BUJUMBURA 000608 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR AF/C E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL BY SUBJECT: BURUNDI'S FORMER PRESIDENT NDAYIZEYE FEARS FOR HIS PERSONAL SAFETY ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Former Burundi President Domitien Ndayizeye called for an impromptu meeting with Ambassador Moller on August 23 to express his concerns over his personal security in light of the recent rise in harassment and intimidation towards opposition figures by the National Police. Ndayizeye feared that several high-profile events, such as the grenade attacks against the Parliamentarians and the rise in criminality, track to similar events which led to instability in the past and, more notably, to his arrest as a suspected coup plotter in 2006. Ndayizeye complained that Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza and his government are not sensitive to the growing neurosis in Burundi and believes that Nkurunziza is not be capable of controlling his government or his advisors. Although Ndayizeye recognized the positive steps shown by Nkurunziza to initiate dialogue with opposition party Union for National Progress (UPRONA) and Ndayizeye's own Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) party, he has little confidence that Nkurunziza will follow through on any new promises and is unsure of the future success of dialogue between the embattled political factions. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In a meeting with Ambassador Moller on August 23, former Burundi President Domitien Ndayizeye expressed concern for his personal safety and freedom. Ndayizeye stated that, due to recent incidents of harassment, his own security detail is afraid for their wellbeing. According to Ndayizeye, in the last week, a member of the National Police force verbally harassed one of Ndayizeye's 'sub-officers', warning that the security of the sub-officer and Ndayizeye depended on the will of the police. In telling his story to Ndayizeye, the sub-officer said that the police accused the former president of manipulating the FRODEBU party and directing FRODEBU efforts to discredit President Nkurunziza and his ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense for Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party. He added that the police also assured the sub-officer that should Ndayizeye be charged with an offense and taken into custoday once more, and unlike 2006, the police would not allow Ndayizeye his freedom again. Ndayizeye added that additional incidents of harassment occured as recently as August 22, including a threatening phone call to his wife. ¶3. (SBU) Former president Ndayizeye compared the recent spate of harassment and intimidation incidents to similar events just prior to his arrest in 2006 as a suspect in a purported coup plot against Nkurunziza's government. Being a source of continued suspicion, Ndayizeye stated that, in 2006, he sought the advice of African Union Ambassador to Burundi Mamadou Bah in deciding if Ndayizeye should go into temporary exile. Ambassador Bah convinced Ndayizeye to remain in Burundi whereupon the government arrested Ndayizeye a short time later. Claiming that he is merely an ex-president who is no more politically active than other citizens, Ndayizeye said that he did not know what to do. Although not his first choice, Ndayizeye still considered temporary exile, perhaps to the U.S., as an option. Ndayizeye ended his comments stating that he will 'try to survive'. ¶4. (SBU) When queried by the Ambassador as to what Ndayizeye recommended she do, the former president replied that it is necessary for Burundi's partners to continue the discussions that have taken place over the last weeks to ensure that the government and opposition parties begin to move in a positive direction. Ndayizeye suggested that the international community also continue to pressure Nkurunziza's government to follow through on their promise to initiate a dialogue in good faith. Ndayizeye opined that people in opposition to government policies are not enemies but should be considered partners in the legislative process; opposition factions have a right to voice their thoughts without fear of retribution or punushment. Unfortunately, Ndayizeye claimed, the government wants to play the game on the military field, sparking fears of war, rather than the political field. ¶5. (SBU) Ndayizeye complained of a growing neurosis within the country, evidenced by the grenade attacks on the Parliamentarians, the events surrounding the attempt to arrest FRODEBU party spokesperson, Pancrace Cimpaye, and the general rise in tension among the Burundi citizenry. Ndayizeye commented that he does not believe that the ruling government is sensitive to the gravity of the situation. Ndayizeye doubted the ability of President Nkurunziza to control his governmnet and advisors. In particular, Ndayizeye stated that Nkurunziza is unable to control Adolphe Nshimirimana, the head of Burundi's National Intelligence Services (SNR) and Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, the Director General of the National Police, both speculated to be close advisors to Nkurunziza. Ndayizeye explained that to adequately control his advisors, Nkurunziza must be willing to punish those who commit wrong-doings, and Nkurunziza must separate himself from advisors that are only providing bad and 'embarrassing' counsel. Both of these actions, Ndayizeye claims, Nkurunziza is heistant to do. ¶4. (SBU) Referring to the meeting in Ngozi between President Nkurunziza and FRODEBU kingpins, Leonce Ngendakumana, the party leader and his deputy, Frederic Bamvuginyumvira, Ndayizeye described the encounter as mildly productive, recognizing that Nkurunziza made a commitment to continue a dialogue with opposition parties in the coming days but also claiming that Nkurunziza and his ruling CNDD-FDD party made many promises in their two years in power which have not been fulfilled. Ndayizeye expressed his uncertainty as to whether dialogue between the political factions would be enough to stem the political malaise. Ndayizeye added that no talk of the attempted arrest of Cimpaye, or the grenade attacks on the five Parliamentarians took place in Ngozi. Ndayizeye also indicated that he did not know if his FRODEBU colleagues planned to discuss Ndayizeye's security fears at their next meeting with President Nkurunziza. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: While the prospects for improvement on the political landscape have been buoyed by the promise of dialogue by President Nkurunziza, Ndayizye's tale of woe, added to other recent high profile incidents of intimidation, confirm that the security situation in Burundi is heading in the opposite direction. Possibly better than anyone else in the political arena, Ndayizeye can compare the rise in criminality, public tension and blind accusations to similar events preceding with the arrest of suspected coup plotters and journalists in 2006 and, perhaps, contributing to the decline into chaos experienced by Burundi in the early 1990's. It also may not be too much of a coincidence that Ndayizeye requested the impromptu meeting with the Ambassador directly on the heels of the irresponsible behavior of the national police at the Ambassador's residence the previous day. As Ndayizeye was raising options for his immediate future, he sent a clear message that a future appeal for USG assistance, similar to the government-sponsored visit granted to former President Pierre Buyoya in the past, is an option. Perhaps Ndayizeye is simply leveraging American outrage over recent events to try and advance his personal agenda. End Comment. MOLLER