Elections in Rumonge : Intimidation, exclusion of representatives, and massive fraud mar the vote

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, June 5, 2025 – As Burundi held its legislative and district elections this Thursday, the southwestern province of Rumonge was the scene of serious irregularities. Between threats against voters, the exclusion of opposition representatives, and obvious fraud in several polling stations, the elections in this province raise serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

In the Buruhukiro zone, Rumonge district, several cases of intimidation were reported on the eve of the election. Palm grove workers, suspected of not supporting the CNDD-FDD, reported being threatened by local officials of the ruling party. “We will compare the lists from CNDD-FDD meetings with the voting results,” one official reportedly warned, implying that voters could face reprisals in the event of disloyalty.

This pressure is not isolated. Last week, six dockworkers who attended a UPRONA party meeting were dismissed from their posts at the port of Rumonge. A female official reportedly told them : “You will return to work when UPRONA returns to power.”

Confidential meetings and political oversight of the elections

Local sources also report that confidential meetings were held throughout the villages and neighborhoods of Rumonge the day before the election. These meetings, organized under the supervision of CNDD-FDD officials, aimed to convey strict instructions to polling station staff, some of whom were themselves ruling party activists.

Suspicions of blatant fraud in several localities

On the election day, there were numerous cases of alleged fraud. In the Mugomere neighborhood, a neighborhood chief was reportedly caught inserting about thirty ballots into the ballot box after the center had barely opened. In Kizuka, the president of a polling station reportedly voted in place of several voters.

In Mwange village, also in Kizuka, political party electoral monitors were banned from polling stations. The same scenario was observed in Cabara, Minago, and Kigwena. A local political leader denounced : “Refusing entry to electoral monitors is a confession. They don’t want witnesses while they rig the results.”

Poor logistics and silent authorities

Asked about these cases, the CENI spokesperson reiterated that accredited electoral monitors have the right to access polling stations. However, according to observations by the media synergy reporters, the majority of polling station presidents did not have radio sets to follow official CENI directives in real time.

Voting under surveillance and under tension

Despite these serious accusations, voting proceeded without visible clashes in several neighborhoods, such as Mugomere, where voters turned out early in the morning. However, their vote took place under heavy surveillance by the police and members of the Imbonerakure youth movement, whose presence continues to raise concerns.

Elections under high tension

In a province where more than 600 polling stations were set up, the reported events cast a shadow over the entire electoral process. While more than 6 million Burundians were called upon to elect their deputies and district councilors, the events in Rumonge illustrate the excesses of an election marked by the absence of real competition, the stranglehold of the ruling party, and the persistent marginalization of the opposition.