Burundi: Former Prime Minister sentenced to life in prison

Burundi's Supreme Court sentenced former prime minister Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni to life in prison on Friday (Dec. 08).

He was convicted on charges including attempting to overthrow the government, illicit enrichment and destabilizing the economy, a judicial source said.

The former general was named PM in July 2020 then dismissed in September 2022.

His ouster came just days after President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned of a "coup" plot against him.

The court sitting in session at the prison where Bunyoni was detained followed the prosecution's requests.

It also ordered the authorities to confiscate four houses and buildings as well as a land parcel and 14 vehicles belonging to Bunyoni.

Five others in the dock including the two main co-defendants, a police colonel and a senior intelligence agent, received "sentences ranging from three years to 15 years," .

The seventh defendant, a driver, was acquitted, the judicial source added.

51-year-old Bunyoni pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of the trail. At the time, he said he should be acquitted because of a lack of evidence.

A close ally of former president Pierre Nkurunziza, Bunyoni was an influential figure in the ruling CNDD-FDD party.