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Burundi :technical tests come at just the right time for the government

SOS Médias Burundi

As the small east African nation prepares to hold legislative and district elections on June 5, 2025, REGIDESO has announced nationwide power outages, officially for technical reasons related to the commissioning of the Jiji hydroelectric power plant. This schedule is raising suspicion in a country where electoral transparency is regularly called into question. While regional and national observers are expected, their impartiality is debated.

Bujumbura, June 2, 2025 – REGIDESO, the sole public company responsible for water and electricity distribution in Burundi, has announced major disruptions to the national electricity grid. The cause : technical tests on the new Jiji hydroelectric power plant, scheduled from June 2 to 17, 2025.

According to the state-owned company, these are « commissioning tests, » necessary before the infrastructure can fully operate. But the timing of these operations raises serious questions. These outages come in the midst of the campaign for the legislative and municipal elections, scheduled for this June.

A tense political context

Reactions were swift. Several voices, particularly within the opposition, questioned the appropriateness of these outages at this critical moment. In the past, similar interruptions on election day had been denounced as suspicious. Some parties claimed that the darkness facilitated fraudulent schemes, such as falsifying voting records or ballot stuffing.

This time again, fears have resurfaced. Political leaders and members of the civil society fear disruptions that could affect the smooth running of the election, or even compromise its transparency.

« How can we guarantee a free and credible electoral process if certain regions are without electricity during the campaign or on election day? » asks an activist based in Ngozi in the north of the country.

REGIDESO, for its part, seeks to be reassuring. In its press release, the company calls on the population to be patient and recommends taking precautions. But trust is fragile, and precedents are painful.

Observers expected… but considered biased by some

Faced with concerns, the presence of election observers is intended to provide reassurance. The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the African Union (AU), as well as a consortium of local organizations perceived as close to the government, have already confirmed their participation in observing the electoral process.

However, this announcement is struggling to convince some Burundians. Critics denounce the lack of independence of some ĺocal observers and regret the absence of international organizations considered more neutral, particularly European ones.

In this small east African nation, where every electoral process is scrutinized with suspicion, the announcement of the power outages has not gone unnoticed. The opposition, citizens, and some foreign diplomats are wondering: is this a technical coincidence or a political maneuver?

One thing is certain : the coming days will be closely watched.