Makamba – Rumonge : a protest by illegal fuel traffickers against their pursuit

Makamba – Rumonge : a protest by illegal fuel traffickers against their pursuit

Fuel traffickers and vehicle owners are protesting against the arrests they are victims of, sometimes going as far as shooting the alleged traffickers with live ammunition.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

On the night of Tuesday, January 21 around midnight, soldiers from the G2 intelligence service seized a large quantity of fuel in Kigwena, a locality located in the district and province of Rumonge, in southwest Burundi. The seizure concerns 2980 liters of gasoline, distributed in 60 cans, some with a capacity of 40 liters and others of 20 liters.

Origin and destination of the seized fuel

According to administration sources, the fuel intercepted on the national road number 3 came from the United Republic of Tanzania. Its exact destination, however, remains unknown. The driver of the vehicle transporting the fuel and its alleged owner were immediately arrested by the police of the Rumonge provincial police station for the purposes of the investigation. They are currently held in the police station’s cell, accused of undermining the proper functioning of the national economy.

Similar arrests in the neighboring province of Makamba

In the neighboring province of Makamba (south), the local police, supported by officers from the general police inspectorate from Bujumbura (commercial capital), have also stepped up operations against fuel traffickers. On January 12, eight people, including two women and six men, were arrested for illegally trading fuel from Tanzania. Two days later, they were transferred to a cell in Bujumbura, the country’s commercial capital.

According to witnesses, the police deployed in Makamba did not hesitate to fire live ammunition to dissuade traffickers, particularly in areas bordering Tanzania.

A controversial hunt

This repressive campaign has drawn strong criticism from owners of vehicles and motorized vehicles, who deplore the systematic hunt for fuel sellers. For these users, these traffickers play an essential role in the supply of fuel, which has become scarce in local petrol stations. They call on authorities to prioritize better availability of fuel in official points of sale rather than targeting those who try to fill this gap by resorting to the black market.

Currently, a liter of gasoline from Tanzania sells for 10,000 Burundi francs, an exorbitant price but considered the only option for many drivers. The official price of a liter of gasoline is set at 4,000 Burundi francs. In the commercial city of Bujumbura where United Nations agencies and the central administration are concentrated, its price can rise to more than five times.

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A long line of vehicles waiting for fuel at a petrol station that does not have any in Makamba (SOS Médias Burundi)

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