03-16-2017 ■ Meetings with Burundian and EU officials have been carried out this week. A former Burundian diplomat says Burundi government is becoming more flexible. “Mass demonstrations against EU in general, and Belgium in particular, have been organized in Burundi for many times. Belgium was accused of all evils whereas it (...)

03-15-2017 ■ While the world celebrates the Consumer Rights Day this 15 March, the Burundian association of consumers (ABUCO) says its members don’t actually enjoy their rights. “How on earth could we say that consumer rights are respected when some measures are imposed without our consent?” says a consumer from the (...)

03-14-2017 ■ The commission of inquiry on Human Rights violations in Burundi has presented its first oral briefing to the Human Rights Council this 13 March, in Geneva, Switzerland. Fatsah Ouguergouz, the chair of the commission says they are concerned at the scale and gravity of the human rights violations and (...)

03-13-2017 ■ Col. Gaspard Baratuza, Burundi Army Spokesperson, says no armed groupshave been noticed crossing the border between the two countries. “Burundi Government will never accept that criminals or troublemakers from neighboring countries find refuge in the country”, he says. On 12 March, unidentified gunmen perpetrated an attack in Rusizi district, (...)

03-11-2017 ■ Caporal-Chief Niyonkuru Leon was repatriated from the UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia on 9 March. He is accused of driving alone in the Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. “The troop contributing country, even the international community, doesn’t tolerate this due to the insecurity prevailing there”, says Gaspard Baratuza, (...)

03-09-2017 ■ Burundi First Vice President Gaston Sindimwo said this 7 March, the UN staff are manipulated by the opposition and give wrong reports to the UN Secretary General. He calls for their replacement. “Burundi Government plans to request the UN Secretary General to replace its staff operating in Burundi”, said (...)

03-08-2017 ■ Burundi Government has written a letter to the UN Security Council as a reaction to the recent UN Secretary General report. It denies the allegations of human rights abuse contained in the report. “This updated note aims to bring your attention that the UNSG report contains some unconfirmed facts (...)

03-07-2017 ■ Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs has organized this 7 March, a closing sensitization campaign on tax collection. Decentralization and tax reduction were the main concerns of taxpayers. “We don’t know how the rent tax will be levied in addition to different taxes (...)

03-06-2017 ■ Media houses broadcast children programs on different radio stations but the children’s rights defenders request more space to promote the children’s rights effectively. “We are not sufficiently covered by different programmes broadcast on different radio stations”, says a young boy, resident in the capital Bujumbura. He says the space (...)

03-03-2017 ■ Due to the deterioration of food security and the rise in prices of some staple foods, the government plans to remove all taxes on certain imported products. “The tax and customs duty exemption on basic products should cover customs duties, administrative charges and value added tax”, says Philippe Nzobonariba, (...)