Nyanza-Lac : mass arrests, panic and indignation among the population

More than 300 individuals, mostly young people, were arrested in the locality of Bukeye, in the district of Nyanza-Lac in the province of Makamba (southern Burundi). A vast search and seizure operation was carried out jointly by police forces of the districts of Makamba, Mabanda and Nyanza-Lac, with the support of soldiers of the Nyanza-Lac camp. Some detainees were released on payment of a fine. The arrests took place on Tuesday, March 4. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Residents speak of a surprise operation “that sows fear”.

From 4 a.m., police and soldiers surrounded the streets and homes, carrying out strict identity checks. Residents were arrested as they left their homes, without the possibility of returning to collect their identity cards. This situation caused great concern, particularly among the families of those arrested.

In total, approximately 315 young men, including day laborers and bicycle taxi drivers, were arrested during this operation. Gathered in groups, some were transported in police trucks while others were forced to follow police officers on bicycles.

Conditional release upon payment of a fine

Relatives of the detainees went to the police station to inquire about their fate, but they were met with a refusal by the local authorities to allow them to bring identity cards of the arrested persons. Finally, some detainees were only released in exchange for the payment of a fine of 10,000 Burundi francs each, and this, without an official receipt. Those who were unable to pay this sum were detained in the cramped cells of the district police station, where they spend the night standing up due to lack of space.

A controversial administrative measure

This wave of arrests comes a few days after the introduction of a new administrative measure requiring households to keep a notebook listing all the people living under their roof, including tenants. These notebooks, sold at the offices of village chiefs at a unit price of 5,000 Burundi francs, raise questions among the population, who consider their cost excessive. Some residents suggest instead using cheaper notebooks in order to save some of the funds for other family needs, especially in a very difficult economic context.

An operation perceived as a political maneuver

Local observers believe that this vast roundup could be a strategy by the administrator of Nyanza-Lac to collect funds, as her term is coming to an end. However, no official confirmation has been given on the real motivations of this operation.

Faced with these events, many questions remain : is this really a security operation or a pretext to collect money from the population? The situation continues to cause tensions and deep concern among the inhabitants of Nyanza-Lac, who are demanding more transparency and justice in the actions of local authorities.