Cibitoke : farmers grumble at the expropriation of their land by the Prime Minister

Cibitoke : farmers grumble at the expropriation of their land by the Prime Minister

Farmers in the districts of the province of Cibitoke, located in northwest Burundi, express their deep discontent following the expropriation of their land, a decision taken by the Prime Minister. Gervais Ndirakobuca is a native of this province.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

These lands, according to the concerned inhabitants, were bequeathed to them by their ancestors. However, the provincial administration claims that these are lands belonging to the State’s heritage, which justifies their recovery as part of a vast operation aimed at returning its state property to the State.

Alarming testimonies

According to witnesses on site, these expropriations mainly concern former properties of the agro-pastoral company Rugofarm, located in the district of Rugombo. These lands were, for the most part, attributed to the head of the Burundian executive. Farmers who worked these lands denounce an “authoritarian drift” and claim that their fields, even in the middle of the harvest period, were confiscated by force.

Members of families who found refuge in Sange in South Kivu in eastern Congo, after the dispossession of their land in Cibitoke (SOS Médias Burundi)

Concordant sources report that these lands are now intended for new agricultural infrastructures, in particular storage buildings for agricultural production and livestock. A local administration official, preferring to remain anonymous, adds : “the farmers are expelled without further ado, and the lands are enlarged for new uses.”

A wave of widespread expropriations

Recently, massive expropriations were observed near the town center of Rugombo, on the sub-villages of Mbaza-Miduha, Rukana 2 and Rusiga, located not far from the river Rusizi which separates Burundi from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hectares of land on the villages of Myave and Ndora, in the Prime Minister’s native district of Bukinanyana, as well as on that of Buhoro in Mabayi district, were also affected.

An octogenarian from the region, interviewed by SOS Médias Burundi, denounced : “this high-ranking CNDD-FDD officer is unscrupulously seizing land inherited from his ancestors.”

Terrible economic and social consequences

According to a local source, the concerned land includes fields of tomatoes, mangoes, palm trees, rice and corn, as well as pastures for herds of cows. The evicted residents are appealing for help, saying that this situation directly threatens their livelihoods and could lead to famine for their families. They are demanding the return of their land and accuse the Prime Minister of abuse of power.

“We urge competent authorities to return our land to us and respect our rights,” said a group of evicted families. However, their calls have so far remained unanswered.

The administration’s response

Contacted on this subject, the governor of Cibitoke rejected these accusations.

“These lands were part of the State’s heritage and had been illegally exploited by individuals during the crisis years,” explains Carême Bizoza, governor of Cibitoke. He justifies the operation as a measure to restore the State’s rights, while avoiding commenting on allegations that these lands were allocated to senior officials close to the ruling party.

According to the governor, the recovery of cultivated land belonging to the public domain will continue until the State is fully rehabilitated in its rights.

A situation that raises questions

Despite the justifications put forward by the authorities, the anger of the Cibitoke farmers continues to grow. The question remains : to what extent can the rights of local populations be preserved in the face of the actions of the State and political leaders?

——

A new project by Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca carried out on the former properties of the Rugofarm agro-pastoral company, January 2025 (SOS Médias Burundi)

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