Burundi in shock after the assassination of the main stockbroker

A street in Nyakabiga, Bujumbura. (Illustrative photo). REUTERS / Jean Pierre Aime Harerimana

Text by: RFI Follow

Burundi's biggest stockbroker, Jackon Simbananiye, better known by the nickname Kirahwata, was abducted yesterday evening when he came out of a sauna in Bujumbura and his body, bearing marks, which still wore a rope around his neck was found this Thursday morning May 14, lying in a small gutter in the Nyakabiga district, near the city center. An assassination that arouses amazement and indignation.

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It is astonishment, because this very successful businessman, who was approaching 70 years, speaking frankly, was a real celebrity in the country. An assassination that takes place less than a week before the presidential election.

Bujumbura is in shock and on social networks, hundreds of Internet users do not hide their disgust, their anger at what they call "  barbaric act  ".

Suddenly, the Burundi police reacted very quickly.

#Burundi

Assassination of old man #Kirahwata: A suspect who has already been arrested believes the police.

Assassination (probably) by rope, still according to the Police. pic.twitter.com/BW9h5OS24w

  Bellarmin Bacinoni (@BellarmBacinoni) May 14, 2020

Police said an investigation is already underway and a suspect has been arrested, according to his spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye. According to our sources, it is the owner of the vehicle used to kidnap the businessman. Its license plate was identified by witnesses who immediately communicated it on social networks. They also spoke of kidnappers in police uniforms.

Investigators favor them for the moment the track of a settlement of accounts.

Kirahwata was the most successful Burundian stockbroker and willingly lent large sums of money to his " friends ", according to our source. " It may have been one of them that eliminated him, " she added.

But this version is struggling to convince in Burundi, where many voices point the finger at the National Intelligence Service of Burundi, which is rather renowned for its expeditious methods.

Burundi, which has been going through a serious economic crisis since 2015, is in dire need of foreign exchange. And Gitega imputes this problem to stockbrokers, accused of " sinking the economy of the country  ". The Burundian government has therefore decided, since last December, to close all exchange offices in order to control the " exchange rate ". In vain.

Today, dozens of Internet users recall that the businessman who has just been assassinated had been arrested and imprisoned at that time and, above all, that he is the 4th stockbroker killed practically according to the same modus operandi since the beginning of the year.

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  • Burundi