Rumonge : families evicted from their land, the shadow of forced expropriation hangs over Burambi and Rusabagi

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, April 13, 2026 — A tense land dispute is gripping the district of Rumonge, in Burunga province in the south of the small East African nation, where several families are denouncing an expropriation they consider arbitrary. A total of twenty-one families claim to have been dispossessed of their land, which is now being claimed by the local authorities.

The families concerned come from the Gahinda and Busaga villages in the Burambi zone, as well as from Muyange in the Rusabagi zone. According to testimonies gathered on site, a local commission entered their properties, surveyed the plots, and then declared that they now belong to the state.

In the aftermath, the inhabitants who farmed these lands received a formal order to no longer access them, neither for cultivation nor harvesting.

Among the affected families, eleven are from Gahinda, nine from Busaga, and one from Muyange. All denounce a unilateral decision, made without prior consultation or compensation.

The case of the family of the late André Ndakoze, a former Muganwa chief from the Baganwa (or Ganwa), the former princely aristocracy of Burundi, descendants of the royal families who ruled the Kingdom of Burundi alongside the Mwami, is attracting particular attention. Traditionally considered a distinct entity from the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa, the Baganwa lost their privileged status and were marginalized after the abolition of the monarchy in 1966.

This family claims to have lost a seven-hectare property. In a letter addressed to the Rumonge district, the family denounces an arbitrary expropriation and reminds them that property rights are guaranteed by the Burundian Constitution as well as by several international conventions ratified by Burundi.

According to this family, the land in question was legally acquired by their ancestor, a former chief in the Mugamba, Bururi, and Imbo regions during the monarchical era.

The Ndakoze family also alleges possible ethnic discrimination and demands his rehabilitation and the return of their property.

Other affected families support these demands and call for judicial intervention.

On the ground, the disputed plots are reportedly being guarded by members of the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party. The Imbonerakure are regularly cited in allegations of abuses against political opponents and civilians in several parts of the country, preventing the former landowners from accessing the land.

So far, the local authorities have not officially reacted.

The local administrator, Augustin Minani, had announced his intention to visit the area to assess the situation, but according to several local sources, this visit has not yet taken place.

Faced with this situation, the families involved are demanding clear explanations, respect for their rights, and a swift resolution to this land dispute, which directly threatens their livelihoods.