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A Unitarian minister from East Africa who raised thousands of dollars in Saskatchewan last year has been imprisoned and his church riddled with bullets in his native Burundi.

Efforts are underway to protest the detention of Fulgence Ndagijimana. He was recently arrested at gunpoint and is being “interrogated severely,” according to a statement by the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. An unknown shooter emptied a clip from an AK-47 and the church was looted of its computers and other valuables.

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“It’s terrifying, just heartbreaking. I wonder what’s happening to him,” said Liz James, one of the hosts for his Saskatoon visit.

Ndagijimana came to Saskatoon in January 2014 to raise money for a scholarship fund, making impassioned pleas to those attending the reception and church service. Burundi — which is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo — is the second-poorest nation on earth, and is wracked by the same colonial scars and resulting ethnic tensions as neighbouring Rwanda. He said a small donation will go a long way to help young students reach their potential. More than $7,000 was raised.