Front Line Defenders welcomes release of coordinator detained in Burundi

DUBLIN, 19 Feb. - (ANA) - Two days after he was detained at the DRC-Burundi border and taken to a detention facility in Bujumbura, Front Line Defenders East and Southern Africa Protection Coordinator, Aloys Habimana, was released this afternoon from the custody of the Service National de Renseignements (SNR – National Intelligence Services). Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of its staff member, who is known around the continent for his decades of work in defence of human rights.

Aloys has worked with the Irish organisation since 2012 as Protection Coordinator for its work with activists at risk in Africa. Prior to working with Front Line Defenders, Aloys was deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Africa Division and previous to that, he worked to monitor and document human rights abuses in his native Rwanda.

Front Line Defenders Executive Director Andrew Anderson announced Aloys' release saying, “The expressions of solidarity and support for Aloys from human rights defenders across Africa during his detention are a testament to the hundreds of activists he has supported in the region.”

On 17 February 2018, Aloys was detained in Burundi at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at approximately 12pm, on his way to meet with human rights defenders in the DRC. Another person with whom he was travelling was also detained, and has also been released.  - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 19 February 2018 - - -