Nkurunziza (l) and Ndayizeye (r) in 2003
Burundi’s former President, Domitien Ndayizeye, whose meeting with the author’s mother is described in Chapter 12 of “Titanic Express”, has been arrested and accused of plotting to kill his successor, Pierre Nkurunziza - who the author describes meeting in Chapter 14 of the book.
Burundi has been plunged into crisis in recent weeks by government claims that an improbable collection of journalists, human rights activists and politicians from all the main opposition parties have been conspiring to assassinate the leadership of the ruling CNDD-FDD party and seize power themselves.
Critics claim that the alleged conspiracy is merely a pretext to crackdown on government opponents. Most bizarre of all are allegations that the South African intelligence services have played a role in the affair.
Earlier this month, the Burundian authorities attempted to arrest the country’s leading journalist, Alexis Sinduhije, accusing him of involvement in the plot, before changing their mind under pressure from the international community.
