VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJB #0608/01 2360930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240930Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0525
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

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