Burundi-Fuel crisis : the government has abdicated in the face of the fuel crisis (senate president)

The president of the Senate on Monday asked the ministers in charge of transport and internal affairs to “reauthorize the circulation of motorcycles in downtown Bujumbura (commercial city) to allow city dwellers to find a means of transportation. Emmanuel Sinzohagera regretted that “the government no longer communicates anything on the fuel crisis and seems to have abdicated”.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The minister in charge of transport Marie Chantal Nijimbere was summoned on Monday to the upper house of the Burundian parliament. The president of the Senate did not hide his dissatisfaction with the persistent shortage of fuel which has lasted for almost 42 months, the situation having worsened in recent months.

“[….] Today, they (transporters) increase the price of transport tickets as they want without there being any control. And you, as a ministry, seem to have abdicated, you no longer have control, the ticket price for buses in Bujumbura today is set at 2500 francs (600 francs officially) and the drivers drop off passengers wherever they want without respecting the parking lots, a taxi ride costs 30 thousand. As the ministry responsible for regulating transport ticket prices, you don’t see any way out? Or do you want us to stop talking about it? I know that you will reply that this situation is linked with the fuel shortage. Isn’t there any possible solution so that the citizens can breathe?,” said Emmanuel Sinzohagera, very sorry, failing to finish sentences from time to time.

Mr. Sinzohagera proposes the reauthorization of motorcycles in the city center of the commercial capital Bujumbura, whose inhabitants have chosen walking as an alternative way following the lack of buses, caused by the shortage of fuel products.

“Go discuss it with your fellow ministers, the one in charge of internal affairs in particular so that they can look for the necessary means, authorize motorcycles to transport people. It’s as if you are doing nothing as an authority responsible for transport management…There must at least be ways that allow people to get around”.

“Last time, I was disgusted to hear that pupils were arriving late in the exam room due to the lack of transportation means. If you had spoken with the minister in charge of internal affairs, you could have seen how motorcycles could transport pupils and find a solution for people to get to work. But as a ministry, it seems that you no longer exist, you no longer communicate anything about the fuel crisis, you seem to have given up in the face of this crisis! Who will answer our questions? How will this situation evolve? the president of the senate”, Emmanuel Sinzohagera, also expressed regret.

Many Internet users welcomed the words of the President of the Burundian Senate. Others believe that “it is rather bicycles that should be allowed to circulate in downtown Bujumbura because motorcycles also use unobtainable fuel.”

The circulation of motorcycles in the center of Bujumbura was prevented by the current Burundian Prime Minister, Gervais Ndirakobuca, in 2022, then minister in charge of internal affairs and security.

Last week, National Assembly Speaker Daniel Gélase Ndabirabe threatened to reintroduce the death penalty for economic disruptors, accusing some MPs and traders of selling the Burundian fuel to Rwanda, thereby creating its shortage.

Associations for the defense of civil and economic rights continue to call on the head of state, whose services speak of “enormous progress to be made in different sectors of national life” during his four years in power, to convene an international conference on the current crisis or a round table to find a lasting solution to this situation, in vain.

“The letters we sent to him remained unanswered,” regrets Gabriel Rufyiri, representative of the Observatory for the fight against corruption and economic embezzlement, Olucome.

Several local and foreign analysts agree that this is the very first time that Burundi is experiencing such an economic crisis. But President Neva declared on June 8 on the sidelines of the celebration of the day dedicated to his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza that “Burundi has never been so blessed.”

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Illustration photo : Burundian Senate President Emmanuel Sinzohagera in a prayer session in a Protestant church in the commercial city Bujumbura