New details have surfaced in the long-running controversy surrounding Burundi’s presidential aircraft, a Gulfstream G-IV registered as 9U-BKB, which has remained grounded in Madrid, Spain, for years amid a dispute involving former Burundian diplomat Cherif Aidara Bocoum.
The aircraft was sent to Spain in 2017 for a scheduled technical inspection and maintenance process. At the time, the administration of former President Pierre Nkurunziza had reportedly assigned Cherif Aidara Bocoum to oversee the operation and coordinate matters related to the jet during its stay abroad.
Documents and email exchanges linked to the aircraft’s acquisition in 2014 reportedly show Aidara playing a significant role in the deal. Some of the communications were addressed to General Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, who was then one of the most influential officials within President Nkurunziza’s inner circle.
According to information emerging from the case, Aidara allegedly took possession of the aircraft’s key operational documents shortly after the jet arrived at Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid. Those papers are said to include authorization and certification records necessary for the aircraft to fly or be transferred to another country.
Without the required documents, the presidential jet has remained immobilized in Spain for years, generating ongoing maintenance and parking expenses.
Sources familiar with the matter claim the former diplomat has demanded substantial compensation from the Burundian government before returning the paperwork. The payments are reportedly tied to services and confidential assignments he claims to have carried out during Pierre Nkurunziza’s presidency.
Aidara was widely regarded as a trusted figure within Nkurunziza’s diplomatic and political network. Beyond his role as ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire and representative in West Africa, he was also believed to handle sensitive missions on behalf of the former administration.
The issue drew renewed public attention after Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly acknowledged difficulties in locating the individual holding the aircraft documents.
He stated: “The plane is supposed to leave Madrid for the United Kingdom. It cannot leave Madrid without the documents. And we have not been able to find the person who has them.”
The statement triggered widespread debate, especially because Aidara was still serving as Burundi’s representative in West Africa when Ndayishimiye first assumed office.
He was eventually removed from his diplomatic position in 2022, a development many observers interpret as evidence of deteriorating relations between him and the current administration.
Political analysts say the dispute reflects deeper tensions inside Burundi’s state institutions and raises questions about accountability, management of public assets, and unresolved networks from the previous administration.
Cherif Aidara Bocoum is also known as the husband of Léontine Nzeyimana, Burundi’s ambassador to Tanzania, a connection that continues to keep his name prominent within Burundian diplomatic circles.
Burundi’s government now appears caught between two difficult options: negotiating a financial settlement to recover the aircraft documents or continuing to leave the jet stranded in Madrid while maintenance costs continue to rise each year.
Observers warn that the prolonged deadlock could further increase pressure on President Évariste Ndayishimiye’s administration at a time when the government faces growing scrutiny over public spending and state asset management.
