Burunga : mandatory contributions and a climate of fear surrounding Imbonerakure Day

SOS Médias Burundi

Burundi, January 12, 2026 – On Saturday, January 10, 2026, the district of Nyanza, Burunga province, in southern Burundi, was the scene of tensions and protests during the annual celebration of Imbonerakure Day. Between financial contributions imposed on residents, threats, intimidation, and suspicions of embezzlement, this day, organized by the CNDD-FDD, reveals the pressure exerted on local populations and the controversial role of the Imbonerakure, members of the CNDD-FDD youth league, in securing and controlling the villages.

According to several consistent accounts, all the village chiefs in the district had been instructed to collect 500,000 Burundi francs (Bif) per village from the residents. Although publicly presented as voluntary, this collection was reportedly imposed as an official directive.

In addition to this financial contribution, some villages in the former Nyanza-Lac district were also required to provide a container of palm oil, further increasing the burden on households already struggling financially.

The discontent was palpable. Several residents denounced the financial pressure as excessive and unfair, especially since these collections came right after the end-of-year holiday expenses and while many families still had to pay their children’s school fees.

Testimonies also reported threats, intimidation, and coercive practices perpetrated by some village chiefs, Imbonerakure leaders, and local CNDD-FDD officials against citizens who did not contribute.

Furthermore, suspicions of fraudulent collections and embezzlement circulated. Some villages allegedly received amounts exceeding the required 500,000 Burundi francs (Bif), with no transparency regarding the management of the funds, raising serious doubts about their final destination.

The same ceremony was held on Sunday in Makamba, the town center of Burunga province, in the presence of Révérien Ndikuriyo, Secretary General of the former Hutu rebel group that has been in power in Burundi since 2005, and a native of this province.

The 9th Imbonerakure Day was celebrated on August 30, 2025, in Gitega, the political capital. But different districts organize this event in their own way, with practices that vary from one locality to another.

Often cited in reports of abuse and violence against opponents or suspected opponents, the Imbonerakure, classified as a militia by the UN, are regularly called upon by the Burundian authorities, starting with President Évariste Ndayishimiye. They participate in border security alongside the army and in nighttime patrols of villages and neighborhoods as part of joint security committees, alongside the police. Officials from the ruling party and the government present the CNDD-FDD youth league as a key lever of government power.

Faced with this situation, many residents have called for respect for citizens’ rights, an end to forced contributions, and greater transparency, believing that these practices risk undermining social cohesion and fueling a climate of fear within communities.

This annual celebration of the day dedicated to the Imbonerakure, members of the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party in Burundi, is commonly known as “Imbonerakure Day.”