SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, June 26, 2025 — In Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital, it is common to encounter Congolese officials in hotels, homes, and restaurants throughout the city. Members of parliament, ministers, and NGO officials —all originally from South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo—stay there regularly, while continuing to carry out their duties in Uvira, on the other side of the border.

According to several local sources, including members of the civil society and cross-border traders, these officials spend the day in Uvira and return to Bujumbura every evening.

« Around 4:30 PM, we often see them return. « These are members of parliament, civil servants, or NGO members who work in Uvira but sleep here, » said a trader at the Gatumba border post.

Some of these officials, who have been based in Bujumbura since February 2025, justify this situation by the persistent insecurity in eastern DRC.
« We continue to work in Uvira, but for our safety, we sleep in Burundi, » they confided on condition of anonymity.

The Congolese civil society is outraged

This trend deeply irritates the local civil society. On June 7, 2025, Mafikiri Mashimango, coordinator of the New Congolese Civil Society in Uvira, issued a direct warning to these elected officials.
« We want our members of parliament to come and live here, like all of us. Vice-Governor Jean Jacques Elakano and Vice-Mayor Kifara Kapenda Kyky are present with us in Uvira. » Why do our deputies choose to live in Bujumbura? he denounced at a press conference.

The civil society had given provincial deputies two weeks to leave Bujumbura and settle permanently in Uvira, failing which protest demonstrations will be organized.

Ministers also singled out

The phenomenon is not limited to provincial deputies. Several residents report that even during official visits to Uvira, some Congolese ministers—including the Ministers of Defense and Human Rights—return to Bujumbura to sleep.

« It’s not just the deputies. Even the ministers who come here refuse to spend the night with us. They always return to Burundi, » they lament.

A divide between elected officials and the population

For the civil society, this behavior seriously calls into question the commitment of Congolese leaders to the people of South Kivu. As citizens face insecurity, violence, and instability on a daily basis, their representatives are choosing temporary exile in Bujumbura.

« This choice weakens trust between elected officials and voters. We need leaders who share our realities and suffering, not visitors who spend a few hours, » insists an activist from Uvira.

Strategic geographic proximity

The commercial city of Bujumbura is located a few kilometers from Uvira, facilitating these daily trips.
Even the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), based in Uvira, obtain most of their supplies from Bujumbura.