Burundi: President appoints new PM after warning of 'coup' plot

Burundi officially has a new Prime Minister. General Gervais Ndirakobuca was unanimously confirmed in his new position by Burundian lawmakers Wednesday.

The 113 Mps approved the proposal of president Evariste Ndayishimiye who appointed Ndirakobuca to replace Alain Guillaume Bunyoni.

Bunyoni's replacement comes days after the president warned of a coup plot against him without ever naming suspects.

Burundi's Presidential palace unveiled the decree on Wednesday afternoon.

Since 2020, Gervais Ndirakobuca headed the ministry of the interior, community development, and public security.

The 52-year-old was hit in 2015 by European and US sanctions for allegedly "silencing those opposed" to former president Pierre Nkurunziza's third term bid.

Ndirakobuca is one of the former rebellion prominent generals which now leads the eastern African country.

During the civil war which killed approximately 300.000 Burundians between 1993 and 2006, Ndirakobuca acquired an infamous nickname : Ndakugarika which means "I will floor you stone dead" in kirundi, the national language.

The ruling CNDD-FDD party vowed to boost the country’s development when President Ndayishimiye was elected in 2020.