Southern Burundi : Arson attacks ravage hectares of forests

Fires have been reported to have ravaged vast areas of forests in southern Burundi since August. Residents suspect that malicious people are starting these fires. Local administration authorities are collaborating with Imbonerakure (members of the CNDD-FDD youth league) to extort money from livestock owners who are trying to graze their herds in the regrowing meadows.

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These fires have especially increased in the provinces of Makamba and Bururi (south) and Rumonge (southwest).

“Tree plantations of all kinds suddenly catch fire. It is difficult to put out a fire during the summer under a blazing sun. The grass and tree branches are dry. The fire is intense and goes so fast”, report dismayed residents.

Local sources indicate that the targeted forests are both private and public.

“I watched helplessly as my hectares of forest were burned. I cry because the project cost me a lot. It was a profitable investment. I expected to make millions from it in a few days to come. But my investment went up in smoke”, laments a resident of Bururi.

As in Makamba and Rumonge, the fires seem to be started by criminals, according to residents.

“What is strange is that after the fire, Imbonerakure are actively monitoring the burned area. They mainly monitor the breeders who try to graze their livestock in the regrowth,” they say.

And they continue that “when they catch you, it’s a party at home. They make fun of the breeder by saying that a good fish fell into their net. There, you have to pay up to 100,000 Burundi francs per animal. And if you ask for forgiveness, they lighten the price a little and you pay without a receipt. Thus, the money is shared by Imbonerakure and some local administration authorities.”

Grassroots elected officials are even accused of boasting that “my coffers will swell with this situation.” This is the case of a hillside elected official from Gisanze in Bururi district and province. We were unable to reach him for his right of reply to the allegations made against him.

In the various localities, residents suspect that fires were deliberately started by individuals to create a situation of collecting money.

They are asking the judicial authority and the administration hierarchy to conduct in-depth investigations to determine circumstances and unmask perpetrators of the fires.

Since August, several thousand hectares of forests have been consumed by fires, according to officials from the Ministry of the Environment based in the south of the country.

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Part of a forest ravaged by a fire in southwestern Burundi, September 2024