Gisuru : 32 Batwa households dispossessed of their land in Ndemeka

SOS Médias Burundi

Gisuru, October 30, 2025 — Thirty-two households from the Batwa community of Kanyabuyenzi village, Ndemeka zone, in Gisuru district, Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi, are denouncing the dispossession of their land. According to them, this dispossession was facilitated by certain local administration authorities, in collaboration with agents from the district office of Agriculture, Livestock, and the Environment.

Complaints recently made public

These complaints were recently made public during a visit by the governor of Buhumuza, Denise Ndaruhekere, to Gacokwe for community work. Representatives of the Batwa community took advantage of this opportunity to draw the attention of provincial authorities to their precarious situation.

The Batwa community representative stated that each household had been dispossessed of at least one plot of land measuring 30 meters by 30 meters.

“Hunger threatens to wipe out our community, as we no longer have fields to cultivate or income to feed our children,” he warned.

The lack of arable land is already having dramatic consequences : many Batwa children have begun dropping out of school due to insufficient food.

“Children go to school on an empty stomach and return before the end of classes. Some no longer attend school at all,” he added.

A dispossession inherited from several generations

The victims claim that they had cultivated these lands for generations before being dispossessed following administrative decisions deemed arbitrary.

“We no longer have anywhere to farm or build our homes. We are asking the provincial authorities to intervene and return our land to us,” says a member of the Batwa community in Kanyabuyenzi.

Local sources confirm that several families are currently living in precarious conditions, some staying with relatives, others living on public land.

“We have contacted the district administration, but no concrete action has yet been taken,” laments a resident.

Authorities ready to examine the situation

Philbert Buturo, representative of the National Commission for Land and Other Property (CNTB) in Ruyigi, indicates that his office is ready to receive this complaint if it is well-founded and accompanied by evidence :

“Our mission is to examine any justified land claim, without distinction of origin or social status.”

The governor of Buhumuza, Denise Ndaruhekere, clarified that this dispute was not yet known at the provincial level, but that the problem must be resolved imminently, instructing the Gisuru district administrator and the competent judicial authorities to address this litigation as quickly as possible.

A vulnerable indigenous minority

The Batwa are an indigenous and marginalized ethnic minority in Burundi, facing serious problems of poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to land and education. SOS Médias Burundi reported that many Batwa families live in extreme poverty : children dropping out of school, mothers turning to precarious work.

Despite some constitutional representation, many feel that their interests are not being defended, and their social and economic isolation remains a major concern.

The Batwa of Gisuru hope that this promise of action will quickly translate into an fair solution, allowing them to reclaim their land, feed their families, and ensure their children’s education.