Burunga : the issuance of travel documents under intense scrutiny, growing concern

SOS Médias Burundi

Makamba, January 28, 2025 — In Burunga province, southern Burundi, obtaining the travel documents required for a passport application is becoming increasingly difficult. Many citizens are denouncing excessively strict controls during administrative procedures, particularly at district offices, where applications are subjected to what they consider abusive and discriminatory scrutiny.

According to testimonies gathered by SOS Médias Burundi, this heightened surveillance is primarily carried out by certain district administrative authorities. Specific categories of citizens are reportedly being targeted, including job seekers, teachers and other Ministry of Education employees, military personnel, and healthcare professionals, suspected of wanting to travel to Arab countries in search of economic opportunities.

Arrests deemed abusive

Beyond administrative hurdles, cases of arrests deemed abusive are also being reported in the province, fueling a climate of fear and mistrust.

In Makamba, Venant Nsavyimana, the head of studies at the Murango district high school, was arrested while requesting a full identity certificate, a document required for a passport application. He was accused of claiming to be unemployed, an accusation that led to his detention for more than four hours at the district offices. He was then transferred to the Makamba district police station, where he spent more than a week in detention. No charges were ultimately brought against him, and he was released for lack of evidence.

Another case involves Gilbert, an Imbonerakure, a member of the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party. A resident of the Swahili neighborhood, he was arrested in the Nyanza district, accused of helping a soldier obtain a passport. He was detained for over two weeks without any legal case being opened, the only justification being that he would be released once the soldier in question was located. Here too, no offense was established, and he was released.

Unauthorized requirements

Furthermore, several citizens are denouncing the imposition of administrative requirements not stipulated by law, notably the requirement for service certificates at certain one-stop shops, even though these documents are not among the legal requirements for obtaining a passport in Burundi.

These practices are perceived as an attempt to indirectly restrict freedom of movement, in a context marked by a surge in departures abroad for economic reasons.

Growing concern

The situation is causing serious concern among the population of Burunga, who are questioning the legality of these practices and the respect for the fundamental right to freedom of movement, guaranteed by the Burundian Constitution and several international conventions ratified by the country.

Several citizens are denouncing this as disguised discrimination and are calling on the relevant authorities to put an end to the abuses, guarantee equality before the law for all, and facilitate access to administrative documents, which is already plagued by excessively long delays.

“Travel documents are a legal right, not a favor,” insists a citizen encountered in Makamba.

Contacted by SOS Médias Burundi, the local authorities of Burunga province had not yet responded to these allegations at the time of publication.