Burundians continue to face consequences of the fuel crisis that has been shaking this country for almost 47 months. Authorities of the small East African nation, who no longer have a solution to offer, prefer to take fanciful measures to keep people in eternal hope.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Recently, Burundian authorities have set up a new fuel supply system. It is done by subscribing to an application called « IGITORO Pass V 1.0 ».

In a press release dated November 12, the Director General of SOPEBU (Burundi Petroleum Company), announced that as part of the digitalization of fuel management, his company updates the quotas to be granted to individuals and entities per week. The mobile phone is now used as a tool for purchasing fuel once or twice a week. This is done on a specific day and according to the car’s registration plate.

Through this document, we can see the diagram drawn up to serve the fuel : on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, it is the owners whose last number on the plate is 0,1 and 2 who are served. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, vehicles that are received at petrol stations have the last number on their license plate which is either 3,4 or 5. On Thursdays and Sundays, privileged vehicles have the last number on their license plate 6,7,8 and 9.

It is at the pump that vehicle owners are informed of the quotas. The quotas differ from one car to another. For vehicles that do not provide paid transport, none can exceed 120 liters per week. The quantity is delivered in two stages in a week.

« Most of the time, the pump empties without us being served even though it was our appointment day. And if the day passes, we are crossed off the list », testifies with despair a man met at a petrol station in the commercial city of Bujumbura.

The other problem arises when the requested quantity is not fully given because the car is already full. The few liters that remain during the first round are not given after.

« We are often told at the pump that what is written must be respected as such. The pump attendants only read the content of the messages transmitted by the SOPEBU agents », says another driver who wonders what will happen to the remaining quantities at the petrol stations.

At a time when gasoline can be available at some petrol stations with difficulty, the very rare quantities of fuel oil that can be found are reserved for buses providing public transport and for vehicles assigned to the transport of high authorities only, the first category never being satisfied, which paralyzes public transport in Burundi.

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Hundreds of passengers including women wait for a bus for several hours, in vain, in the parking lot serving the north of the commercial city Bujumbura, July 9, 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)