Burundi Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in Long-Running CNL Leadership Dispute

Burundi’s Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the legal battle over the leadership of the opposition National Congress for Liberty (CNL), marking another delay in a case that has become central to the country’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The case pits former CNL president Agathon Rwasa against the party’s current leadership headed by Nestor Girukwishaka. The two sides were scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court in Burundi’s economic capital Bujumbura on Thursday for a substantive public hearing, but the defendants did not attend. The court instead decided to deliberate based on the written submissions already filed by both parties and said its ruling would be delivered within two months.

The latest hearing was the third postponement in the case.

Speaking after the hearing, Rwasa welcomed the court’s decision to proceed with deliberations and urged the judiciary to handle the matter without further delay.

He said the Supreme Court’s administrative chamber had correctly decided to rely on written submissions, noting that both the plaintiffs and defendants had already presented their arguments in writing in accordance with administrative procedures.

“We can only wait for the Supreme Court to communicate the outcome of its analysis of the respective case files,” Rwasa said.

As Burundi prepares for its 2027 presidential election, Rwasa also told journalists he remains ready to contest despite what he described as political obstacles.

“We are always ready, even if obstacles remain,” he said.

Rwasa also called on the government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), the Constitutional Court and other institutions to ensure a more open political environment, arguing that genuine elections require meaningful political competition.

He said Burundi’s political space should be opened to all citizens and warned against conflating the ruling party with the state.

CNL Leadership Defends Absence From Hearing

The current CNL leadership said it did not attend Thursday’s hearing because the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on preliminary objections raised by the defence.

In a statement posted on X late on Thursday, CNL spokesperson Térence Manirambona said the defendants had formally written to the court, arguing that the case remained at the procedural stage and that their preliminary objections had yet to be addressed.

According to the statement, the defence asked the court to clarify why only ten individuals were named as defendants even though around 1,400 delegates participated in the extraordinary CNL congress held on 10 March 2024, which elected Girukwishaka as party leader.

The defence also questioned why Rwasa continues to describe himself as CNL president and allegedly uses the party’s official seal despite his replacement having been endorsed by the extraordinary congress and later approved by the Interior Ministry.

The statement further argued that if Rwasa rejects the legality of the congress that removed him, his challenge should instead be directed at the Interior Ministry, which formally validated the congress’ decisions in April 2024.

The defence additionally alleged that supporters of Rwasa had repeatedly threatened the safety of its members during previous court appearances through intimidation, insults and attacks on vehicles. Those allegations have not been independently verified, and Rwasa’s camp had not publicly responded to them by the time of publication.

Earlier this week, Girukwishaka told local newspaper Iwacu that his camp was prepared to accept the court’s decision if the law was properly applied.

From Congress to Court: CNL Leadership Battle

The leadership dispute dates back to March 2024, when an extraordinary CNL congress in Ngozi in northern Butanyerera Province removed Rwasa as party leader and elected Girukwishaka in his place.

Organisers of the congress accused Rwasa of mismanaging party funds and assets and of repeatedly failing to attend statutory party meetings. Rwasa rejected the congress as illegal, arguing it violated the party’s statutes.

In April 2024, Rwasa and his supporters filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the congress’ decisions.

The case has since experienced multiple delays. A hearing initially scheduled for November 2024 was postponed to February 2025, then again to September 2025, before Thursday’s hearing was also deferred.

Last month, Rwasa accused the government of deliberately slowing the judicial process in an attempt to prevent him from participating in Burundi’s next presidential election.

The Supreme Court is now expected to issue its ruling within two months, a decision that could have significant implications for the future leadership of the CNL and Burundi’s opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.