Bujumbura : ALUCHOTO raises alarm about violence and ill-treatment of Burundians abroad

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, October 28, 2025 — In a statement recently released, the Burundian Association for the Fight Against Unemployment and Torture (ALUCHOTO) denounced serious violations of fundamental rights suffered by Burundian nationals living abroad, particularly in Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. The association has documented murders, arbitrary arrests, torture, and ill-treatment of Burundians who leave for these countries.

According to the report, Mr. Vianney Ndayisaba, legal representative of ALUCHOTO, expressed his deep dismay at the fate of many Burundians, while foreigners living in Burundi enjoy respectful treatment and complete security.

Mass migration linked to unemployment and poverty

With unemployment particularly affecting young people, tens of thousands of Burundians have recently settled in the capitals and urban centers of countries in the sub-region and Southern Africa. Others choose to leave for the Gulf countries in search of new professional opportunities.

Some Burundians attempted to reach Europe via Libya, exposing themselves to the dangers of the sea voyage, while others transited through Serbia before that route was closed. In countries like Kenya and Tanzania, children aged 8 to 14 leave to work to support their impoverished families.

For those who go to work in the Gulf, Burundian authorities have established legal partnerships to prevent human rights violations. Despite these measures, the situation remains concerning. Alongside this brain drain, the small east African nation is facing massive migration driven by poverty, a phenomenon unprecedented even during the civil war of the 1990s and the embargo of the same period.

Violence in southern and eastern Africa

In Zambia, ALUCHOTO reports 13 Burundians murdered and 169 arbitrarily arrested, including 19 victims of torture. These acts of violence were allegedly perpetrated by security forces, young Zambians, and intelligence agents. Some brutal arrests indiscriminately targeted Burundians, regardless of their residency status, with some forced to pay large sums of money for their release.

In Malawi, ten Burundians, including traders and motorcyclists living in a refugee camp, were killed last May, according to the association.

In Tanzania, 212 Burundians were arbitrarily arrested, 9 were tortured, and 42 were subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, particularly at the border with Burundi.

Inhuman treatment in Arab countries

The situation is also dire for many Burundians in Arab countries, primarily migrant women working as domestic workers. ALUCHOTO has documented 121 women who have been victims of physical violence, torture, and rape. In these same countries, 97 people were arbitrarily arrested and jailed in illegal detention centers, and 12 were killed by their employers.

Appeal to Burundian authorities

Faced with this terrible situation, Mr. Ndayisaba deplores the silence and lack of response from the Burundian authorities. ALUCHOTO calls on the authorities to take urgent measures to ensure the protection and dignity of Burundian citizens abroad, and to strongly condemn these human rights violations.