SOS Médias Burundi

Rutana, August 3, 2025 – In Rutana, in Burunga province in southern Burundi, six men were found guilty of human trafficking. The First Instance Court sentenced them on Friday, August 1, to prison terms ranging from two to five years. Their trial revealed an alarming reality : in this region of the small east African nation, poverty drives some families to deliver their children into the hands of traffickers.

The trial was held in flagrante delicto, from Thursday to Friday. The six defendants were charged with illegally transporting children to neighboring countries in the subregion.

Parents trapped by poverty

In court, the defendants attempted to defend themselves, claiming to have acted at the request of the parents. The latter, crushed by poverty, hoped to offer their children a better future outside the country.

A persistent scourge

This case highlights the scale of human trafficking in Burundi, an issue that relies on the economic vulnerability of families. Judicial and police authorities are called upon to intensify the fight against these networks, which exploit the distress of the poorest.