A senior Burundian police officer, Colonel Bonfort Ndoreraho, the former regional police commander for Ngozi Province, has been arrested by the National Intelligence Service (SNR) over allegations of attempting to illegally export coffee to Rwanda.
The arrest follows a recent operation in which 14 tons of coffee were seized at the Kobero border, a legal trade route between Burundi and Tanzania. Investigators believe the shipment was ultimately intended for Rwanda, in violation of Burundian export laws.
According to reports, when Colonel Ndoreraho learned that the coffee had been intercepted, he allegedly tried to bribe SNR agents to recover the consignment. The attempt failed, prompting further investigation by the intelligence service.
Sources quoted by SOS Médias Burundi revealed that SNR operatives traveled to Ngozi to apprehend the colonel. Upon learning of the impending arrest, Ndoreraho reportedly went into hiding. Authorities then detained his wife, allegedly to pressure her into revealing his whereabouts.
After several days in hiding, the colonel is said to have surrendered himself to SNR officers on November 3, 2025, and was subsequently transferred to Bujumbura for questioning.
Following his detention, Lt. Col. Jean-Bosco Niyonsenga was appointed as the acting regional police commander for Ngozi. Meanwhile, Col. Ndoreraho remains in SNR custody as investigations continue into the alleged coffee smuggling operation and corruption attempt.
The case has attracted attention in Burundi, where coffee remains one of the country’s key export commodities and a source of significant government revenue. Authorities have repeatedly warned against illicit trade practices that undermine the national economy.
