Photo of the week-Bujumbura : young shopkeepers forced to close to attend CNDD-FDD meetings

Young people working in shops, hair saloons, and cafes in the Jabe neighborhood, in the Bwiza zone of ​​the Mukaza district in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, are denouncing pressure exerted by members of the ruling party’s youth league, the Imbonerakure. These members are allegedly forcing them to abandon their work in the afternoon to attend political meetings organized in the neighborhood.

According to several testimonies gathered on site, the Imbonerakure regularly patrol the streets to identify young people working in shops. They justified these summonses by citing the need to verify that no members of armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo were hiding in the commercial capital of the small east African nation.

The affected business owners, however, emphasized that participation in partisan activities should in no way be mandatory.

“I was in my salon when a group of Imbonerakure suddenly burst in. They asked me why I hadn’t closed to go to the meeting. I explained that I was working to earn a living. One of them forced me to close and follow them. I did it to save my life, but it’s deplorable in a neighborhood where peace is supposed to reign,” recounted a hairdresser.

A shopkeeper claimed to have experienced a similar scene.

“I stayed open until the last customer. They came and told me to follow them immediately.” “I don’t understand how young people can force businesses to close without a valid reason,” he laments.

Climate of fear

Several young people say they are acting under duress and fear reprisals if they refuse. The recent explosion in Cibitoke district, near the Congolese border, which injured several people, including a woman and a child, is further fueling anxiety. Fighting between the Burundian army and the M23 has intensified in the area in recent days.

The shopkeepers are asking the local administration to intervene to put an end to these practices and are calling on the Burundi National Police to ensure security without resorting to political coercion.

When contacted, an administrative source in Bwiza indicated that “the police are working to secure the population,” without specifically commenting on the accusations against the Imbonerakure.

A league regularly Accused

The Imbonerakure are the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the former Hutu rebel group that has been in power since 2005 following the Arusha Agreement of August 2000. They are frequently cited in reports by human rights organizations for acts of intimidation, violence, and abuse against real or perceived opponents.

Often called upon by the authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye, they participate in certain operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, border surveillance, and nighttime patrols in neighborhoods and on hillsides.

The Iteka League, which now operates from exile, speaks of persistenty impunity. In its annual report published in January, the CNDD-FDD attributed the involvement of the Imbonerakure in 110 of the more than 400 deaths that occurred in 2025.

The CNDD-FDD, for its part, presents its youth league as a pillar of community development and national security and accuses its detractors of trying to tarnish the country’s image.

As a reminder, in 2015, the United Nations classified the Imbonerakure as a militia, linking them to the violence associated with President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial third term.

An open endorsement from the Head of State

In August 2023, Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly praised their role during a national day dedicated to the league.

“Burundi is protected because we have the Imbonerakure. Anyone who doesn’t believe that should come and violate our borders.” “He will be disillusioned,” the head of state said, also calling for increased night patrols and denouncing criticism he believes has been orchestrated by the West since the 2015 crisis.

Our photo : a small meeting of CNDD-FDD activists in a street in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, where Imbonerakure are forcing young shopkeepers to attend (SOS Médias Burundi)