Gatumba: Burundian authorities seize fuel from Congo which has become their bulwark

A Burundian soldiers and policemen team seized at least a thousand cans of gasoline on July 18 in Gatumba, on the border between Burundi and the DRC. Local civil society intends to conduct protests to counter any cross-border trade if this quantity is not returned.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The fuel trade on the black market, which almost turned official these recent days, is carried out by women for the most part. The sale has proliferated for several months following the persistent fuel shortage in Burundi. According to civil society in Kavimvira, a border area with Burundi, at least a thousand cans of gasoline were seized by a team of Burundian soldiers and police in Gatumba last Thursday.

“This fuel is stored at the police station in Gatumba. The majority of Congolese sellers are flood victims. Some of them have been arrested. We ask the Burundian authorities to release these mothers and return this fuel to them,” says Mulangaliro Kanena Justin, youth manager at Kavimvira.

According to sources within local civil society, Congolese activists plan to organize demonstrations starting July 22 to prevent any cross-border trade if this quantity is not returned.

“It’s as if Burundi no longer has any leaders. How can the security forces of this country seize fuel from Congolese sellers while Congo is saving the Burundians to the point of making sacrifices because the prices have increased significantly following strong Burundian demand”, residents of Uvira told SOS Médias Burundi.

Local sources in Uvira told SOS Médias Burundi that the mayor of Uvira has initiated talks with his Burundian counterparts with as objective of obtaining the return of the fuel held by the Burundian authorities.