Giharo : illegal fines imposed on Congolese refugees in search of survival

SOS Médias Burundi

Rutana, June 16, 2025 — Congolese refugees living at the Musenyi site, in Giharo district (Rutana province) in southeastern Burundi, are denouncing abusive practices by Burundian police. The police reportedly impose arbitrary fines on them as they travel, particularly to Muzye, a trading center located a few kilometers from the camp.

According to several testimonies collected by SOS Médias Burundi, a police barrier erected between Rubaho and Muzye is believed to be at the heart of these extortions. Although refugees have the right to move freely within the boundaries of the district where their site is located, with their refugee identity cards, police officers reportedly require an “exit permit” and issue fines without a receipt if they fail to do so.

Among the victims is Siméon, a father :

“I was going to Muzye to buy food. When I arrived at the roadblock, they asked me for an exit permit. I showed my card, but they told me it wasn’t enough. I had to pay 10,000 Burundi francs to be let through,” he recounts.

A refugee community leader, who requested anonymity, denounces this practice that further penalizes an already vulnerable population :

“Refugees live in precarious conditions. When they seek means of survival in Rubaho or Muzye, they are arrested and forced to pay fines, without a receipt.” The site administration must guarantee our freedom of movement within the district, with our refugee identity cards, without requiring us to obtain additional authorization.”

The Musenyi site hosts nearly 20,000 refugees who have fled armed violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the provinces of North and South Kivu. These police measures are perceived as an infringement of their fundamental rights, which are guaranteed by national laws and international conventions.