Ndikuriyo had planned to travel to Kigali with Aigle Noir FC for its CAF Champions League qualifying match against Sudan’s Al-Hilal.
He revealed his plans to journalists on August 22, 2026, while discussing CNDD-FDD activities.
“Do you think I am afraid of Kigali? After all, I am an officer! Do you think there is an everlasting fire? The only thing is that I do not know how my work schedule will be because we plan things day by day. So, if the Eagles [Aigle] were going to Kigali to play football, would I miss going there to enjoy myself? Only work would prevent me from going there,” Ndikuriyo said.
Sources familiar with the matter said Ndikuriyo’s planned four-day visit raised concerns for President Évariste Ndayishimiye amid strained relations between Burundi and Rwanda.
According to the sources, Ndayishimiye questioned the CNDD-FDD Secretary General about why it was necessary for him to accompany his team to Rwanda and instructed him not to travel to Kigali.
Although the trip was presented as an effort to support Aigle Noir FC, analysts say Ndikuriyo’s political influence in Burundi made the planned visit more significant than an ordinary football trip.
Some CNDD-FDD members and opposition figures describe Ndikuriyo as one of the party’s influential figures with the political weight to challenge Ndayishimiye.
He is also said to have a strong following at the grassroots level of the ruling party, making his movements and activities a subject of close attention from the country’s top leadership.
Against this background, his planned stay in Kigali for several days was viewed by some as having political implications beyond football.
Burundi-Rwanda relations remain strained
The reported disagreement comes as relations between Burundi and Rwanda remain tense.
Burundi closed its land borders with Rwanda after accusing Kigali of supporting the RED-Tabara rebel group, which opposes the government in Gitega. Rwanda has denied the allegations.
The strained relations have affected movement between the two countries, cross-border trade and other activities involving their citizens.
Analysts say the prospect of a senior CNDD-FDD official spending several days in Kigali may have been viewed through a political lens rather than as a routine sporting trip.
The episode also highlights how tensions between Burundi and Rwanda can extend beyond politics into areas such as sport and business.
In 2024, Burundi’s Dynamo BBC refused to wear jerseys bearing the “Visit Rwanda” logo after the country’s basketball federation, FEBABU, instructed the team not to display the sponsor’s branding amid worsening relations between the two countries.
Dynamo BBC was taking part in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) at the time. The team was forfeited after refusing to play in the sponsor-branded jerseys and was subsequently eliminated from the competition.
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