A Rwandan music star was on Wednesday arrested in Burundi’s economic capital, Bujumbura, and accused of fraud, the authorities have said.
Bruce Melodie had scheduled concerts in Bujumbura for Friday and Saturday.
Melodie is accused of not returning money to a local music investor when his concert in Bujumbura was cancelled in 2018, local media reports.
The musician is yet to comment on the allegations.
A Burundian musician, Jean-Pierre Nimbona, popularly known as Kidum, says the money issue should have been resolved in talks because it might escalate.
“This [arrest] could cause a diplomatic incident between the two countries which were far in negotiations,” Kidum told the BBC Great Lakes service.
The Burundian and Rwandan authorities have been in negotiations to rebuild relationships after several years of diplomatic strain that has at times turned into incidents of military confrontation.
