For more than a month, the 1,729 inmates of the central prison of Gitega, the political capital of Burundi, have not had sufficient rations. According to sources within the prison, prisoners each only receives 350 grams of beans per day when they should also benefit from cassava or corn paste. An untenable situation for the detainees, especially for those who come from areas far from Gitega.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

It is a glaring lack of almost everything that is of concern at the prison, according to our sources.

“Today, each inmate only receives 350 grams of beans per day, an insufficient ration,” prisoners said.

Detainees who come from the surrounding areas are lucky enough to receive visitors and thus manage to have a full ration, unlike those who come from far away, notably from the provinces of Cankuzo, Ruyigi and Karusi (central-east). Sources at this prison mention problems already linked to malnutrition, including anemia.

The Gitega central prison was built in 1923 with a capacity of 400 people.

It currently has 1,729 inmates, exceeding its capacity by more than 400%.

Human rights defenders continue to ask the government to decongest this prison, like all others across the country, but the requests have had no effect.

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A fire truck at the entrance to Gitega prison, December 2021 (SOS Médias Burundi)