SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, May 22, 2025 – Two weeks before the double election scheduled for June 5, reports are talking about intimidation, violence, and the confiscation of voter cards targeting UPRONA and CNL activists. This situation raises fears of a biased and far from peaceful electoral process.

In Cibitoke province, in the northwest of the small east African nation, tensions are rising as the district and legislative elections approach. Several local sources report a wave of intimidation orchestrated, according to them, by youth affiliated with the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party. The victims : opposition activists, primarily those from the National Congress for Liberty (CNL) and the Union for National Progress (UPRONA).

In the districts of Rugombo, Mugina, Murwi, and Mabayi, at least a hundred people had their voter registration cards forcibly confiscated. According to testimonies gathered on the ground, young Imbonerakure—the CNDD-FDD youth league—are accused of carrying out targeted raids against opposition supporters. Some activists claim to have been approached with offers of money—up to 5,000 Burundi francs—in exchange for their cards. Others report death threats.

Several CNL members have reportedly fled the province, some even taking refuge in Tanzania. The Burundi Bwa Bose coalition speaks of a « coordinated terror campaign » and accuses local authorities of turning a blind eye to abuses.

The targeted political parties are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to ensure transparency in the process. But many voices are denouncing the bias of this institution. « The majority of CENI district officials are close to the CNDD-FDD, » says a CNL official who requested anonymity.

The provincial representative of the ruling party, for his part, denies any involvement of its activists : « These are voluntary memberships. Citizens leave other parties to join us. There is no intimidation. »

Contacted by our editorial team, several district administrators stated that they have not received any official complaints. They call on the population to remain calm, assuring that the electoral process will continue peacefully.

Concerning precedents

In 2020, similar incidents were reported in the provinces of Kirundo, Muyinga, and Ruyigi, with CNL activists prevented from voting or attacked.

In 2015, at the height of the electoral crisis, many opposition members fled Cibitoke after a wave of arrests and disappearances.

In 2010, the boycott of the elections by several parties was based on accusations of intimidation, throughout almost all of Burundi.

As the election date approaches, calls for vigilance are growing. Observers fear a repeat of the cycles of violence that have marred previous electoral processes in Burundi.

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Residents of Cibitoke province, in northwest Burundi, wait in vain for their voter cards to be distributed (SOS Médias Burundi)