Rumonge: Child Trafficking Network Active Along Lake Tanganyika Shores

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, June 18, 2025 — On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Burundian children are falling prey to human traffickers promising them a better life abroad. Local authorities are raising the alarm over a growing and deeply concerning phenomenon affecting the communes of Rumonge and Nyanza-Lac, located in Rumonge and Makamba provinces, respectively.

Children aged 11 to 16 are reportedly being targeted and recruited by human trafficking networks operating in these southern communes of the small East African nation. The traffickers lure them with promises of a brighter future abroad — a situation local sources describe as “alarming.”

A growing trafficking hub

The shores of Lake Tanganyika in Rumonge Province have increasingly become a key departure point for child trafficking networks. According to an administrative official in Nyanza-Lac, who requested anonymity, traffickers operate discreetly, exploiting the economic vulnerability of local families.

“They go into the hills, target the youngest children — especially from poor families — and promise them well-paid jobs in Tanzania, Zambia, or the DRC,” the official told us.

Well-organized methods

Once the children are convinced, traffickers reportedly transport them illegally across borders using secondary roads that bypass official checkpoints. The most commonly used border points are Mugina (in Mabanda commune) and Kabonga (in Nyanza-Lac), both leading into neighboring Tanzania.

Traffickers often present themselves as recruiters or generous benefactors. Sometimes, even community members — unknowingly — assist the process by hosting the children temporarily or sharing logistical information.

Authorities sound the alarm

In response to the growing crisis, school principals and local administrators are urging the immigration police and child protection units to step up patrols and monitoring in high-risk areas.

“We need to strengthen border checks, raise awareness among families and youth, and severely punish traffickers,” warned a school official in Rumonge.

A call for collective action

Local authorities are calling on families and communities to be extra vigilant. Close cooperation between law enforcement, local government, and citizens is deemed essential to dismantle the networks and protect vulnerable children.

A regional scourge

Burundi is among several countries in the Great Lakes Region and the East African Community (EAC) reporting an increasing number of human trafficking cases. Endemic poverty, particularly in rural areas, remains one of the main drivers of this vulnerability.

This alert comes as the world prepares to observe World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, a date established by the UN General Assembly in 2013 to raise awareness, protect victims, and intensify global action against this transnational crime. The situation in southern Burundi offers a sobering reminder of just how urgent that mission remains.