Burundi SNR Arrests Stone Evangelical Church Legal Representative

• Burundi's National Intelligence Service (SNR) arrested Samuel Nkurunziza, the legal representative of Stone Evangelical Church, on September 26.
• This followed the arrest of Pastor Mark Ntayoberwa from the same church approximately two weeks earlier; both remain in custody.
• Families of the detained men have not received information regarding their situation, grounds for arrest, or location.
• The Stone Evangelical Church primarily serves the Banyamulenge community, and these arrests are part of a broader pattern targeting this group.
• The detentions occur amid regional political tensions and concerns that religious activities are being unfairly linked to political or military affiliations.

The absence of official communication regarding the specific reasons for these arrests or the legal recourse available to the detainees underscores a troubling disregard for established legal procedures.

The National Intelligence Service (SNR) in Burundi recently apprehended Samuel Nkurunziza, a Burundian national serving as the legal representative for the Stone Evangelical Church. His arrest occurred on Saturday, September 26, according to individuals closely associated with the church. This detention follows by approximately two weeks the arrest of Mark Ntayoberwa, a pastor within the same religious institution and a member of the Banyamulenge community, who was also taken into custody by the SNR in Bujumbura.

Both Samuel Nkurunziza and Mark Ntayoberwa have remained in detention since their respective arrests. Their families have not been provided with specific details regarding their current situation, the precise grounds for their apprehension, or their exact location of detention. The Stone Evangelical Church, an independent body situated in the northern part of Bujumbura, primarily serves a congregation composed of individuals from the Banyamulenge community. At present, no public information has been released to substantiate any formal charges against either man.

These arrests are not isolated incidents but rather part of a wider pattern of detentions targeting members of the Banyamulenge community across Burundi. Local sources indicate that several Banyamulenge religious leaders have been arrested in Bujumbura since early September. Furthermore, in the Bwagiriza refugee camp, located in Ruyigi district, an elderly Banyamulenge man was reportedly abducted by the Burundi National Police (PNB) and subsequently transferred to the custody of the SNR.

The lack of transparency surrounding these detentions raises significant concerns regarding due process and human rights. Community members emphasize that if an individual is suspected of committing an offense, they should be formally presented before a court of law, and their family must be informed of any charges brought against them. The absence of official communication regarding the specific reasons for these arrests or the legal recourse available to the detainees underscores a troubling disregard for established legal procedures.

The arrests of Stone Evangelical Church leaders, including the legal representative Samuel Nkurunziza, are unfolding amidst heightened regional political tensions. The church's founder and visionary, Reverend Paul Sunzu Ruganirwa, currently resides in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, a city that has been under the control of the AFC-M23 since January 2025. Some sources have speculated that the founder's presence in Goma could be a contributing factor to the arrests of the church's religious leaders.

However, there is no public evidence to suggest that Samuel Nkurunziza or Mark Ntayoberwa are involved in any political or military activities linked to the AFC-M23. A member of the Banyamulenge community in Bujumbura expressed surprise at the arrests, stating that religious matters should not be conflated with politics. This individual argued that the mere fact of the church visionary being in Goma is insufficient to establish political or military involvement on the part of the arrested leaders. The situation highlights broader concerns about religious freedom in Burundi and the potential for political motivations to influence arbitrary detentions, particularly against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and strained relations between Gitega, Kinshasa, and Kigali.

Lawyers advising religious organizations, NGOs, or individuals with ties to the Banyamulenge community in Burundi should be aware of the heightened risk of arbitrary detention by the SNR, often without stated charges or family notification. This situation highlights significant due process concerns and the potential for political motivations to influence arrests, necessitating careful risk assessment and advocacy for clients operating in or with connections to the region.

Source: Original reporting via a regional news outlet