SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, May 24, 2025 – With less than two weeks to go before the legislative and district elections, a report from the Europe-Central Africa Network (EurAc) is sounding the alarm. The organization, which brings together 32 European NGOs active in the Great Lakes region, denounces a blocked electoral climate, persistent democratic backsliding, risky military involvement in eastern DRC, and an economy in freefall. All this against a backdrop of growing indifference from the European Union.

Entitled « On the Road to Burundian Elections : Between the Sound of Boots and Economic Collapse, » the report is based on testimonies, field data, and cross-analysis. The tone is grave : according to EurAc, Burundi is entering a dangerous cycle of tensions just days before the June 5 election.

Residents at a voter registration center in Cibitoke (SOS Médias Burundi)

Electoral process locked down and opposition muzzled

The report depicts an electoral process largely controlled by the government. Presidential decrees adopted less than a year before the election amended the electoral code, sidelining certain opposition figures, including Agathon Rwasa, the former Hutu rebel leader and unsuccessful candidate in the 2020 presidential election, whose party membership was revoked in 2024. The widespread climate of fear, violence attributed to the Imbonerakure (members of the CNDD-FDD youth league), and pressure on voters are undermining the credibility of the election.

The civil society under pressure

EurAc believes that the progress promised after Évariste Ndayishimiye came to power (June 2020) has not been materialized. Journalists, activists, and human rights defenders continue to be arrested, surveilled, or forced into exile. Cases such as those of Floriane Irangabiye and Sandra Muhoza illustrate that press freedom remains under threat.

« Burundi is experiencing a situation that can be described as ‘violent peace,’ where returning from exile remains perilous and criticism an act of bravery, » the report states.

A Burundian army involved in the war in the DRC

The Burundian army is engaged in South Kivu, in eastern DRC, where it is fighting both the M23 rebel movement and Burundian armed groups such as RED Tabara. EurAc reports significant human losses and a growing militarization of the internal security apparatus.

An economy in deep crisis

The report paints a bleak picture of the economic situation : rampant inflation, fuel shortages, a collapsing national currency, and a rising cost of living. In January 2025, the IMF suspended its aid program for Burundi, exacerbating the precarious situation. According to EurAc, only elites close to power benefit from this system by controlling both formal and informal economic channels.

The European Union accused of disengagement

EurAc regrets Brussels’ growing silence on the Burundian crisis. The report notes the country’s absence from several recent European Parliament resolutions on the Great Lakes region. Yet, it emphasizes, Burundi is a key player in regional stability.

A receipt given to a household that paid the contribution imposed by the CNDD-FDD on all residents of the eastern provinces, regardless of political affiliation (SOS Médias Burundi)

« The European Union’s growing disinterest in the Burundian crisis threatens to transform a diplomatic oversight into a regional explosion, » the report warns.

High-risk elections

As the June 5 election approaches, the EurAc report calls on Burundi’s international partners, particularly the European Union, to act quickly : support for the civil society, condemn human rights violations, and strictly conditionalize development aid. Without a strong response, a new cycle of post-election violence cannot be ruled out.

« In Burundi, the appearance of openness hides a systemic repression that is still driving hundreds of citizens into exile today. »

———

A UPRONA party rally in the town center of Rumonge in southwestern Burundi, on May 18, 2025. Photo credit : UPRONA account X (formerly Twitter)