Kirundo: Nighttime insecurity, YDS guards and Imbonerakure singled out

SOS Médias Burundi
In the urban center of Kirundo (northern Burundi), a youth association called Youth Defense Security (YDS), responsible for nighttime security, is at the core of a heated controversy. Young people affiliated with the CNDD-FDD party, the organization, supposedly responsible for security, is accused of sowing disorder and protecting criminal interests instead of ensuring a peaceful environment.
Kirundo, April 9, 2025 – Watchmen posted in front of stores report being regularly forcibly awakened, manhandled, and even beaten by these youths. According to several accounts, these actions are intended to ensure that the stores do not hire other security services. These same youths are reportedly involved in nighttime robberies, breaking into the businesses they were supposed to protect.
Recurring thefts under YDS surveillance
For several weeks, many shopkeepers have been complaining about an upsurge in burglaries in stores under YDS surveillance. « How can we explain that stores are being robbed while they are under the watchful eye of these youths? » asks one shopkeeper. Exasperated, several of them have chosen to hire their own independent security guards, thus denouncing the ineffectiveness, or even complicity, of the YDS in these criminal acts.
A particularly disturbing example concerns the shop of a certain Rurema, a well-known Imbonerakure in the urban center of Kirundo. Despite his close proximity to those who carry out the night patrols, his shop was recently completely burglarized. This theft highlights the inconsistency of security measures and raises questions about the loyalty of these youths in their missions.
Suspicions of complicity with law enforcement and local administration
Mistrust of the YDS goes beyond mere accusations. Some members of the population accuse certain police officers and local administrative officials of secretly collaborating with these youths to facilitate the thefts. Names circulating on the streets of Kirundo include Elias Nkurunziza, Nyange-Bushaza neighborhood chief, and a demobilized soldier known as Minani, both suspected of playing a role in these dubious practices.
The Imbonerakure, an Additional Factor of Insecurity
Adding to this already tense situation are the heavy-handed patrols of the Imbonerakure, youths from the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party, who also engage in violence in the dead of night. The Rufunda neighborhood was recently the scene of an attack: citizens returning home after 10 p.m. were violently beaten by these militiamen. Only the rapid intervention of the military patrol allowed them to be saved.
The Imbonerakure, regularly involved in acts of violence, fuel a climate of fear, particularly towards those who dare to go out after 10 p.m.
A Silent Administration in the face of escalating insecurity
Despite repeated complaints and tangible evidence of violence, the local administration appears to remain deaf to the situation. Worse still, it appears to support, tacitly or otherwise, the actions of youth affiliated with the ruling party by promoting their nighttime patrols. This attitude raises questions about the authorities’ genuine desire to restore order and security in the region.
Appeal to the National Police: an urgent need to restore order
Faced with this increasingly worrying situation, traders and residents of the urban center of Kirundo are launching an urgent appeal to the authorities, particularly the national police. They are demanding a rapid response and thorough investigations into the practices of the YDS and the Imbonerakure. The population hopes that measures will be taken to restore security to the city before the situation deteriorates further.
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A street in the Kirundo provincial capital where abuses by Youth Defense Security are reported (SOS Médias Burundi)