Fighting against corruption at a glacial pace in Burundi

In a press conference held on 26 August by Faustin Ndikumana, the Chairman of PARCEM, the local NGO concerned with awakening and changing people’s mentality deplores the fact that six years after the head of state had declared zero tolerance to acts of corruption and economic embezzlement, nothing was done.

Faustin Ndikumana: “The fight against corruption is at a glacial pace in Burundi…”

According to Faustin Ndikumana, it was a commendable declaration that showed the Burundian government’s commitment to fight against corruption in Burundi “That day, president Pierre Nkurunziza assumed that the law would be revised to strengthen the legal instruments against corruption,” said Ndikumana.

“Until now, this fight is unfortunately unsuccessful. In 2013, we held a workshop in Bujumbura during which we decided that effective and strong legal framework against corruption would have been implemented since 2014,” he pointed out.

In October the same year, the ministries in charge of justice and good governance organized a governmental retreat during which the government and civil society members adopted a very important document that should have served as a basic instrument for sustainable development.

“Burundi Government backed by UNDP, was ready to recruit international experts who should examine and implement those relevant recommendations. But until now, no significant strides have been made. One wonders whether this document is being implemented or completely forgotten,” regretted the chairperson of PARCEM.

For him, the government should not complain that corruption is paralyzing the situation in Burundi. One should rather engage in the fight against it. He stated that the Government should have developed the legal framework from this important document that would mark the political will.

Faustin Ndikumana called on the ministries of justice and good governance, the government of Burundi to try to make this document a very important instrument to fight against corruption instead of continuing to lament. Where corruption prevails, it is very difficult to have development, economic growth, democracy and human rights protection, because all the sectors of the country become affected.