{"id":6925,"date":"2025-05-30T12:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T12:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingumurundifreedom.org\/en\/?p=6925"},"modified":"2026-03-14T00:49:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T00:49:50","slug":"the-release-of-vincent-ndagijimana-coltan-management-still-shrouded-in-opacity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingumurundifreedom.org\/en\/the-release-of-vincent-ndagijimana-coltan-management-still-shrouded-in-opacity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Release of Vincent NDAGIJIMANA \u2013 Coltan Management Still Shrouded in Opacity"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A Long-Awaited Release Amid Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

On May 29, 2025<\/strong>, Burundian businessman Vincent NDAGIJIMANA<\/strong>, who had been detained since May 26, was released<\/strong> and is now in Kayanza province. His detention occurred amid financial and political conflicts<\/strong> surrounding coltan, a mineral critical to both the Burundian economy and the international electronics industry.<\/p>

Read here: The 50 Billion Case \u2013 Conflicts Over Mineral Exploitation and the Arrest of Vincent Ndagijimana \u2013 KUF-ASBL<\/a><\/p>

As a reminder, Vincent NDAGIJIMANA\u2019s case was detailed in our previous investigation on the 50-billion-franc scandal<\/strong>, which highlighted tensions and diversion of coltan revenues in Kabarore.<\/p>

I. Vincent\u2019s Release: Context and Reactions<\/strong><\/h2>

Vincent was initially imprisoned by Fran\u00e7ois Uwiragiye (Mayondori)<\/strong> and R\u00e9verien Hategekimana (Amstel)<\/strong>, his former partners in BME<\/strong>, who refused to pay him the 50 billion Burundian francs<\/strong> he claims are owed for his share of the minerals he provided and helped to exploit.<\/p>

The President of the Republic, Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE<\/strong>, publicly commented on the matter:<\/p>

\u201cWhere does the mineral you extract really go? Where do the funds end up?\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\u201cAll this looted coltan does not benefit the state; the money disappears into private pockets, not a cent reaches the public treasury.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\u201cI will stop all of it myself; I will not allow coltan to continue being exploited at the expense of the country.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>

These statements reveal a dual reality: while the President publicly demonstrates his commitment, the actual management of coltan remains opaque<\/strong>, controlled by Vincent and his two former partners, with implicit complicity from state authorities.<\/p>

II. Behind the Scenes: Meetings and Secret Revenue Sharing<\/strong><\/h2>

Since April 6, 2025<\/strong>, Vincent, Amstel, and Mayondori were summoned to four meetings at the presidential palace<\/strong> to attempt to resolve the revenue-sharing dispute. According to sources:<\/p>