Frodebu demands justice for Ndadaye assassination
The Sahwanya Frodebu party will not field a candidate in the 2027 presidential election due to lack of transparency.
33 years after the assassination of Melchior Ndadaye, Burundi's first democratically elected Hutu president, the Sahwanya Frodebu party is still demanding that all those responsible for his 1993 murder be identified and convicted. The party announced it will not present a candidate in the May 2027 presidential election, citing insufficient guarantees of transparency and inclusivity in the electoral process. Phénias Niyigaba, the party's vice-president, stated that justice for the assassination remains incomplete.
While acknowledging some progress, including the reopening of the case, arrests, and convictions, Frodebu insists that all alleged perpetrators and masterminds must be brought to justice. The party has filed a complaint but found no satisfactory response. Ndadaye, founder of Sahwanya Frodebu, was assassinated less than four months into his presidency during a coup attempt. His death plunged Burundi into a prolonged period of violence and civil war.
In 2020, the Supreme Court of Burundi sentenced 17 of the 21 individuals prosecuted in connection with Ndadaye's assassination to life imprisonment. The Sahwanya Frodebu party continues to call for full accountability for all those involved in the planning and execution of the assassination, believing justice is still incomplete. The current presidential couple, Évariste and Angeline Ndayishimiye, paid respects at Ndadaye's tomb.
Why it mattersThe Sahwanya Frodebu party is demanding justice for the 1993 assassination of its founder, Melchior Ndadaye, and boycotting the 2027 presidential election.