Bunyoni, a former general who assumed the role of Prime Minister in July 2020 but was dismissed in September 2022, faced the court session at the prison where he was held. His removal occurred shortly after President Evariste Ndayishimiye issued a warning about a potential coup against his administration.
The court, acting on prosecution requests, not only sentenced Bunyoni to life imprisonment but also directed the authorities to seize four houses, buildings, a land parcel, and 14 vehicles owned by him. Among the five others in the trial, the main co-defendants—a police colonel and a senior intelligence agent—received sentences ranging from three to 15 years, while a seventh defendant, a driver, was acquitted, according to the judicial source.
During the trial, the 51-year-old Bunyoni pleaded not guilty to all charges, citing a lack of evidence.
He was a prominent figure in the ruling CNDD-FDD party and a close ally of former President Pierre Nkurunziza.
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