Cibitoke : 35 Imbonerakure detained for illegal trafficking and clandestine crossings into the DRC

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, January 27, 2026 – Thirty-five members of the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD party, have been detained for nearly two weeks in the cells of the Cibitoke police station in Bujumbura province, western Burundi. They are suspected of illegal cross-border trafficking and facilitating the clandestine crossing of Congolese nationals across the Rusizi River, the natural border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Cibitoke region borders South Kivu province, in the east of this vast central African country.

Arrests amid stricter security measures

The arrests occurred shortly after a security meeting chaired on January 9 by the governor of Bujumbura province, Major General Aloys Ndayikengurukiye. The meeting, held in the Buganda stadium hall, brought together administrative authorities, security officials, and representatives of religious groups.

At this meeting, the governor, in collaboration with the commander of the 1st Military Region, warned that any unauthorized contact with individuals from the DRC would henceforth be severely punished. Anyone apprehended on the Rusizi River would be considered an “enemy of the nation,” the authorities emphasized.

Smuggling of goods and refugee crossings

It is in this context that the 35 Imbonerakure were arrested : fifteen in Nyamitanga village in Bukinanyana district, twelve in Rukana village, and eight in Rusiga village in district.

According to local sources, some were arrested while illegally transporting goods, including fuel and traditional fabrics, while others facilitated the clandestine passage of Congolese nationals fleeing the persistent insecurity in eastern DRC. These crossings were carried out in exchange for large sums of money, as the perpetrators believed themselves to be above the law.

A transfer to Mpimba is being considered.

Among those arrested are also local leaders of the Imbonerakure, a situation that is causing concern among provincial leaders of the CNDD-FDD. They are calling on the justice system to act swiftly, to hand down appropriate sentences, and to transfer the defendants to Mpimba Central Prison in the commercial capital, Bujumbura.

The Cibitoke region does not have a central prison, making it necessary to transfer detainees to Mpimba for cases deemed sensitive or high-profile.

For their part, administrative and judicial authorities have warned anyone tempted to break the law, stating that firm measures will be taken against all offenders, without exception.

A league regularly implicated

The Imbonerakure are the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the former Hutu rebel group that has been in power in Burundi since 2005 following the Arusha Agreement of August 2000. They are regularly implicated in acts of abuse targeting opponents or suspected opponents.

Often called upon by Burundian authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the Imbonerakure accompany the army in certain military operations in the DRC, participate in border security, and conduct night patrols in the neighborhoods and villages of the small east African nation.

Human rights organizations, however, denounce persistent impunity. According to the Iteka League’s annual report, published in January, the Imbonerakure were implicated in 110 of more than 400 people killed in the country in 2025. Burundian authorities and CNDD-FDD officials, for their part, present the league as a pillar of development and accuse their detractors of trying to tarnish its image and that of the country.

As a reminder, the UN described the Imbonerakure as a militia and a tool of repression for the CNDD-FDD regime in 2015, following the violence linked to the controversial third term of the late President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Acknowledged support from the Head of State

In August 2023, President Évariste Ndayishimiye brought the Imbonerakure back into the spotlight during a day dedicated to them, praising their role in securing the borders.

“Burundi is protected because we have the Imbonerakure.” “Anyone who doesn’t believe this should come and violate our borders. They will be disillusioned,” he declared.

Speaking in Kirundi, the head of state also praised their involvement in the night patrols and called for their intensification, asserting that criticism of the league had been orchestrated by the West since the 2015 crisis.