Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The Burkinabé says he does not want their marital problems to become a media war, but believes some questions should be answered through evidence and the appropriate legal processes.

In an interview with IGIHE, Idrissa discussed how his relationship with Vestine began, why he decided to marry her, problems that emerged after she travelled to Canada, allegations involving other women, questions surrounding their child and his decision to request a DNA test.

Idrissa declined to do a video interview. Instead, he responded in writing to 15 questions from IGIHE.

Throughout his responses, he avoided making accusations against Vestine or other people, repeatedly stressing that he did not want to litigate their personal disputes through the media.

“I am not interested in winning a public argument against my wife. I am interested in having the facts properly established and in handling this situation with dignity,” he said.

‘I entered the marriage sincerely’

Idrissa said his relationship with Vestine developed gradually before they decided to build a life together.

“Vestine and I met and, over time, our relationship developed into something serious. We shared important moments together and eventually decided to build a life as husband and wife,” he said.

He declined to discuss how they first met, saying he did not want to turn their personal history into a public dispute.

“What I can say is that, at the time we made the decision to marry, I genuinely believed in our relationship and in the future we were building together,” he said.

A person familiar with the couple’s relationship told IGIHE that the two first became acquainted through social media.

According to the source, Idrissa was living in China and had posted a song by Vestine and Dorcas on his status. One of his followers reportedly told him they could introduce him to the musicians.

Asked why he decided to marry Vestine, Idrissa said the decision was not made lightly.

“Marriage is not a decision I took lightly. I believed that we had a relationship worth building on and that we could create a family together,” he said.

“I entered the marriage sincerely and with the intention of making it work. Whatever difficulties have arisen since then should not change the sincerity with which I entered that commitment.”

Wedding photos and the problems that followed

Photos from the couple’s wedding have been widely discussed on social media, with some users interpreting Idrissa’s expression as a sign that he was unhappy.

He rejected that interpretation.

“A photograph captures a moment, not an entire relationship,” he said.

“I don’t think someone’s facial expression in a few photographs can reasonably establish what was happening in their marriage. There were many emotions surrounding that day, and I would not want people to draw conclusions about our relationship based on photographs alone.”

Idrissa said the early months of the marriage involved both good moments and challenges.

“Like many marriages, we had good moments as well as challenges. From my perspective, I was committed to the marriage and to resolving difficulties privately whenever possible,” he noted.

He said the situation became more complicated after Vestine travelled to Canada.

“From my perspective, there was nothing at the beginning that I would describe as a major conflict between us. We had our normal challenges as a couple, but we continued moving forward with our marriage and our plans as a family,” he said.

“The situation changed later, particularly after Vestine travelled to Canada. That is when circumstances became more complicated and certain questions and misunderstandings arose.”

He declined to discuss the details, citing ongoing legal and family matters.

A person close to Idrissa told IGIHE that disagreements emerged after Vestine arrived in Canada and began staying in the same house as Murindahabi Irene, despite arrangements for them to stay separately.

Court documents show that on December 4, 2025, lawyers representing Idrissa filed a complaint with investigators, including allegations related to Vestine’s trip to Canada and Murindahabi’s alleged role in it.

Among the evidence examined were messages Idrissa sent to Irene. In one, he agreed that Vestine should remain in Canada because she was pregnant. In another, he later asked that Vestine return to Rwanda.

The prosecution said the two messages contradicted each other. The issue also featured in the decision concerning a complaint alleging “abandonment of the matrimonial home.”

Allegations involving other women

Vestine has also alleged in her divorce filings that Idrissa had relationships with other women and that two women became pregnant by him.

Idrissa acknowledged the allegations but declined to address them in detail.

“I am aware of those allegations, but I would like to be very careful because these are serious personal allegations,” he stated.

“There are different versions of events, and I don’t believe a public interview is the appropriate place to litigate those matters. Where there are specific facts that need to be established, I am prepared to address them through the appropriate legal channels.”

Asked whether he has two children outside the marriage, he again declined to confirm or deny the claim.

“I don’t want to make statements in the media that could later be taken out of context or affect ongoing proceedings,” he said.

Asked specifically about claims that he had a romantic relationship with Last Sandra, Idrissa also declined to comment.

“I’m aware of the claims circulating publicly, but I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to comment on private matters or unverified allegations in the media,” he stressed.

On whether communication with other women contributed to problems in the marriage, Idrissa said he did not believe responsibility could be assigned to one person or event.

“Every marriage can be affected by communication, trust and misunderstandings, but I don’t think it would be fair for me to place the entire responsibility for the breakdown of a marriage on one person or one event,” he remarked.

Why did he request a DNA test?

One of the most contentious issues concerns the child Vestine gave birth to in Canada.

Court documents show that Idrissa filed a complaint alleging that Vestine refused to inform him that she had given birth and denied him access to the child.

The case file also records statements Vestine made to an investigator. She reportedly said one of the issues between her and Idrissa was that he “does not accept the child.” The file also records her allegation that Idrissa linked her to Murindahabi.

Those are statements attributed to Vestine during the investigation and are not presented in the case file as established facts.

Idrissa said his decision to seek legal clarification was about establishing his position as a father.

“My decision to seek legal clarification was not intended to create a public confrontation. It was about obtaining clarity regarding my position as a father and ensuring that the relevant questions concerning the child are addressed properly,” he revealed.

Asked what prompted him to request a DNA test, he said there were circumstances that left him with unanswered questions.

“Rather than making accusations publicly, I chose to seek an objective and lawful way of obtaining clarity,” he said.

“For me, a DNA test is not about humiliating anyone or attacking anyone. It is about establishing facts where there are unresolved questions.”

As the dispute continued to circulate on social media, some reports also linked questions about the child’s paternity to Murindahabi Irene, who works with Vestine on music projects.

Idrissa declined to speculate about her involvement.

“I have seen and heard various things circulating publicly, but I don’t believe it would be responsible for me to speculate about another person’s involvement or repeat unverified information,” he said.

“I have no intention of accusing or implicating anyone based on rumours. If there is a question that needs to be established, it should be established through evidence and the appropriate process.”

‘I don’t want to attack her publicly’

Vestine has publicly described experiencing difficult moments during the marriage and said she was hurt by what happened.

Idrissa said he did not want to dismiss her feelings.

“If she experienced pain or felt hurt, I respect that those are her feelings and her perspective,” he said.

At the same time, he said their experiences of the marriage were not identical.

“My experience of the marriage and of what happened is not identical to hers. That is precisely why I believe it is important that both sides are heard before conclusions are reached.”

He said he had no desire to attack his wife publicly.

“She is someone with whom I shared an important part of my life, and I would prefer to speak about the situation with dignity,” he said.

Could they reconcile?

Idrissa did not rule out the possibility of rebuilding the marriage, but said he did not want to make promises about the future.

“At this stage, I think it is more important to deal responsibly with the issues that are already before us rather than make promises or predictions about the future,” he noted.

He said reconciliation would require honesty, mutual respect, trust and willingness from both sides to address the problems that led to the current situation.

“For now, my priority is to handle the situation calmly and responsibly, particularly where the child and the legal proceedings are concerned,” he said.

Idrissa urged people not to draw conclusions based solely on social media, rumours or one side of the story.

“There are important parts of this situation that the public does not know, and there are matters that I cannot discuss fully because of the ongoing legal and family proceedings,” he remarked.

“I am not interested in winning a public argument against my wife. I am interested in having the facts properly established and in handling this situation with dignity.”

He also urged the public to consider the impact of the dispute on their child.

“Behind the headlines there are real human beings and, most importantly, a child. Whatever disagreements exist between adults, the child’s interests should remain at the centre of the matter,” he pleaded.

“I don’t want to fight this matter through the media. Where there are allegations, I am prepared to answer with facts and evidence through the appropriate channels.”