action is unlawful or is an infringement of the provisions of the
Treaty”, learned Counsel submitted that there was no action which
was unlawful or was an infringement of the Treaty and that, therefore,
in the absence of such an action, no cause of action against the 1st
Respondent could arise.
38. Counsel further pointed out that as elaborated in the 1st Respondent’s
Response to the Reference and in the Supplementary Affidavit of Mr.
Sylvestre Nyandwi, Mr. Rufyikiri, in his capacity as the President of the
Burundi Centre for Arbitration and Conciliation (CEBAC), was being
prosecuted in the Anti-Corruption Court of Burundi in accordance with
Law No.1/12 of 18th April 2006 on measures of preventing and
combating corruption and related offences and Law No. 1/10 of 3rd
April 2013 on Criminal Procedure Code of Burundi,
under Case
No.RMPCAC 2066.
39. He then contended that this case is distinguishable from The Mukira
Mohochi Case (supra) since the whole process of prosecuting Mr.
Rufyikiri and the measure prohibiting him from travelling outside
Burundi did not violate any articles of the Treaty, including Articles
6(d) and 7(2) as they were being done in accordance with the relevant
Laws of Burundi.
40. In the same vein, Counsel argued that since the disbarment of Mr.
Rufyikiri was done in accordance with the applicable Burundian laws
and by national competent institutions (i.e. Court of Appeal of
Bujumbura and Review Chamber of the Supreme Court of Burundi) as
detailed in the Respondent’s case above, there was no ground to
support the Applicant’s allegations that the 1st Respondent has violated
his Treaty obligations embodied in Articles 6(d) and 7(2) of the Treaty.
It is on the basis of the foregoing and again relying on the Ndorimana
REFERENCE NO.1 OF 2014
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