Burundi : gold rush in Muyinga, residents denounce land and social catastrophe

SOS Médias Burundi

Muyinga, June 22, 2026 – Artisanal gold mining is reaching alarming proportions in several villages in the district of Muyinga, in Buhumuza province, northeastern Burundi. Residents accuse gold miners of massively degrading agricultural land, destroying crops, causing the forced displacement of families, and encouraging school dropouts. They also denounce intimidation tactics and alleged complicity on the part of some authorities in the face of an activity that, according to them, has become uncontrollable.

Agricultural land transformed into open-pit mines

The population of the Cibari, Gatovu, and Kinyota villages is sounding the alarm about the expansion of artisanal gold mining activities in the region.

According to several testimonies gathered on site, dozens of ditches and craters have been dug in cultivated fields and on private property. After the mining operations, the sites are reportedly abandoned without any rehabilitation measures, leaving behind land that is difficult to cultivate.

“Today, our fields have become giant holes. It’s impossible to plow or even move around normally in some plots,” explains a resident of Gatovu village.

Local residents fear that the situation will permanently compromise agricultural activities, the main source of income for many families in the region.

Destroyed crops and economic losses

Residents say that gold mining operations regularly lead to the destruction of food crops and fruit trees.

Banana groves, bean fields, avocado orchards, and other plantations are frequently razed to make way for mining operations.

“They tear up everything they find.” “Our banana plantations and fruit trees are disappearing overnight without any fair compensation,” laments a farmer from Kinyota village.

According to several victims, the compensation offered, if it happens, covers only a small portion of the losses suffered.

Families forced to leave their land

The population also denounces what it considers to be disguised evictions.

According to several accounts, some operators are gaining access to the land in exchange for compensation deemed derisory. Others are continuing their work right up to the immediate vicinity of homes.

“They dig at night and sometimes even reach under the houses. Families end up leaving because they fear for their safety. We don’t understand the administration’s role in this situation,” complains a resident of Cibari.

Some residents claim that several households have already left their properties for fear of collapses or accidents related to the excavations.

Alleged corruption and intimidation

Faced with this situation, residents say they have repeatedly alerted administrative and police authorities without seeing any improvement.

Several people interviewed accuse certain mining company managers of benefiting from protection that allows them to continue their activities despite the numerous complaints filed.

“We have reported the problem several times, but nothing changes. Many people believe that the owners of the gold miners have protection at the highest levels,” says a resident who requested anonymity.

Residents also claim that some mining companies are close to the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, and that several members of the party’s youth wing, the Imbonerakure, are involved in the mining activities.

Other accounts describe pressure and intimidation against landowners who try to oppose the work or demand better compensation.

“When we try to assert our rights or stop them from digging on our properties, we are intimidated. Many prefer to remain silent for fear of the consequences,” says a resident of Cibari.

Those implicated in these allegations had not responded at the time of publication.

School dropout rates are rising

Beyond the land and environmental consequences, residents are worried about the impact of this gold rush on education.

According to several parents, a growing number of pupils are dropping out of school to join the mining operations in the hope of making quick money.

“Our children are leaving school to go and look for gold. A future is being destroyed before our very eyes, while the authorities see what’s happening,” laments a mother.

Families fear that this trend will permanently jeopardize the future of a generation of young people in this part of the small East African nation.

Call for urgent intervention

Residents of the affected villages are calling on the government to intervene quickly to regulate gold mining and protect the affected communities.

They are demanding, in particular, independent investigations into the reported abuses, the identification of those responsible, and the rehabilitation of degraded land.

“Today, it’s practically impossible to build a house or cultivate some land.” “We are asking the government to restore these lands,” pleads a landowner.

Several residents are also calling for the direct intervention of the President of the Republic so that measures are taken against those allegedly responsible for the reported violations.

“We are asking the Head of State to come to the aid of his people. If certain authorities have failed in their duty, we want them replaced so that justice can be served for the citizens,” concludes a local leader.

For the people of Cibari, Gatovu, and Kinyota, the situation now goes beyond the simple issue of mining. They speak of a land, social, and educational crisis that threatens their future and that of their children.