02-23-2020 ■ According to a communiqué issued by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on February 20, the UN experts strongly criticized the two and a half year jail sentence handed down against four Burundian journalists. They said sentencing the four journalists to jail for simply carrying out (...)

02-21-2020 ■ Four political parties namely CDP, RANAC, PAJUDE and FEDS have coalesced into “Kira Burundi” for the 2020 elections. Aloys Baricako, chairman of the coalition says they want to join forces to win the forthcoming elections. “Unity is strength and we share the same society project,” he has said, after (...)

02-20-2020 ■ Members of the National Assembly have analyzed and approved a draft bill governing the ranking of President Pierre Nkurunziza as a ‘Supreme Guide of Patriotism’ despite controversial discussions, this 19 February. Aimée Laurentine Kanyana, Minister of Justice who defended the draft bill in the National Assembly has said the latter has (...)

02-19-2020 ■ At least seventeen political parties, one coalition and nine independent candidates for this year’s elections have participated in the draw for the serial numbers of the badges to be put on the ballot paper for the 2020 elections this February 18. Pierre Claver Kazihise, Chairman of the National Independent (...)

02-18-2020 ■ At a press conference held this February 17, Li Changlin, Chinese Ambassador to Burundi has recommended Burundian students in China who are on holidays in their country to limit their outings and avoid participating in rallies. “They must remember to do a temperature test twice a day for 14 (...)

02-14-2020 ■ Pierre Claver Ndayicariye, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission-CVR says the applicants of testimonies of what happened in 1972 have expressed their wishes to be morally and financially supported by the State. “They accuse the government to be involved in the 1972 killings because the latter were executed (...)

02-13-2020 ■ Gabriel Rufyiri, Chairman of a corruption watchdog-OLUCOME says the decision taken by the Burundi Central Bank-BRB doesn’t provide any solution to the problem of the lack of foreign currencies in Burundi. He says the country faces a major challenge since financial partners reduced their support to the government in (...)

02-12-2020 ■ Jean Prosper Niyoboke, expert in economy says the decision taken by Burundi Central Bank to close all foreign currency offices will have no impact on the Burundian economy if the government is ready to supply enough foreign currencies as the forex offices did to satisfy their clients. “The exchange (...)

02-11-2020 ■ Jean Ciza, Governor of Burundi Central Bank says foreign currency exchange offices didn’t respect the rules set for foreign exchange rate. “The foreign currency dealers bought dollars but they rarely supplied them to the clients,” says Mr. Ciza. He also says foreign currency dealers didn’t use BUREX, the software (...)

02-07-2020 ■ Some foreign currency dealers have temporarily suspended their daily activities in Bujumbura city. H.M, one of the exchange dealers says the demand of foreign currency is very low these days. “Our clients only look for BIF,” he says. Diomède Nduwayo, another dealer says the cost of the dollar has (...)