Musongati – Uprona party symbols vandalized in Giharo : activists denounce targeted acts

SOS Médias Burundi

Musongati, July 19, 2025 – The political climate is deteriorating again in Giharo. During the night of July 15-16, as yet unidentified individuals vandalized the Uprona party headquarters, located in the administrative center of Musongati district, in Butezi village. This is in Burunga province, in southeastern Burundi. Suspicions fall on individuals affiliated with the CNDD-FDD, Burundi’s ruling party.

On site, the damage is visible : the walls of the office have been vandalized, and portraits of Prince Louis Rwagasore—a hero of independence and founder of the party—have been erased or destroyed. For Uprona activists, this is not a simple act of vandalism, but rather a political message.

“Look at this mess! Our symbols, our history, everything has been trampled. These are barbaric acts, unworthy of a state governed by the rule of law,” exclaimed an activist who was present at the scene that morning.

Although the perpetrators have not yet been formally identified, party members have cited disturbing signs. According to them, this attack occurred in a tense atmosphere, shortly after the political meetings organized on July 7 and 8 by the local CNDD-FDD branch.

“Since those meetings, we felt something was brewing. And then the attack happened. It’s too big to be a coincidence,” suspects a local Uprona official.

Uprona activists affirm that this climate of intimidation is nothing new. They say they have been facing threats and pressure for several weeks in various villages in the former district of Giharo, now part of Musongati. They denounce a form of political harassment intended to stifle their voice.

“What we are experiencing is reminiscent of the dark days of political intolerance. Some of these individuals are like dogs of war. They no longer have any respect. They are so aggressive, they even seem to be under the influence of drugs,” says another activist, his voice full of bitterness.

What further outrages Uprona members is the silence of administration and police authorities. No local official has spoken out, and no investigation has been opened to date. For activists, this silence amounts to complicity.

“When the state remains silent, it becomes complicit. This silence proves that those who attack us feel protected,” asserts a visibly frustrated activist.

Faced with this rising tension, Uprona members are demanding an urgent investigation and the security of their premises. They warn that they will no longer accept being the silent targets of a climate of violence that has become routine.

“We will not stand idly by. We want justice to be done, and for our rights to be respected like those of any other registered party in Burundi,” concludes a local party official.

In the meantime, the headquarters remains under surveillance by its members, who say they fear further acts of provocation.