Under the aegis of the Head of the National Defence Force of Burundi (FPNB), local actors in the protection of the environment descended into the rivers flowing into Lake Tanganyika Friday, 28/08/2020 as part of the national reforestation program called “Ewe Burundi Urambaye”.

This raid saw the participation of the Mayor of the City of Bujumbura, the Inspector General of the National Police, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment, the Commissioner General of the Burundian Office for Urban Development, Housing and Construction (OBUHA), the DG of Agriculture, the DG of Agriculture, the DG of the Office Burundis des Mines (OBM), the DG of the Burundian Office for Environmental Protection, of Deputy DG for Civil Protection, Military and Police Officers in charge of operations at central levels, in City Hall from Bujumbura.

It was intended to resolve the issue related to the antithesis that exists between the protection of the environment through an expanded reforestation program “Ewe Burundi Urambaye” and the uncontrolled exploitation of construction materials and unauthorized cleaning or with expired permits in the rivers crossing the City of Bujumbura and in the surrounding mountains.

Relevant measures have been taken, in particular the temporary suspension of all activities carried out both upstream and downstream of these rivers until further notice. The downhill team visited the mouth of the Kizingwe River, the sand exploitation on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the Kizingwe site in the Kanyosha zone in Bujumbura City Hall, the team descending on the ground called for the immediate cessation of these illicit exploitation of construction materials.

The same team visited the Mugere River to inquire about the state of play of illicit exploitation and cleaning that does not meet environmental standards except for a Chinese company that operates this river with the authorization of the Ministry of Energy.

The team, led by the head of the National Defence Force of Burundi (FPNB), also visited the Kanyosha River and Mutimbuzi to inquire about the state of play of illicit exploitation and deforestation that flouts environmental standards. The banks of the Ntahangwa River (to see how to fix the
banks of the Ntahangwa River by bamboo) was also visited..

The Head of the National Defense Force of Burundi (FPNB), Prime Niyongabo said that the objective of this visit is part of the EWE_Burundi_Urambaye program where the city of Bujumbura will not be spared in this program especially to support the banks of the rivers crossing this city and the trees along the roads to keep the city green.

All the speakers regretted that instead of cleaning up, people are exploiting the rivers and “quarry sites” in Bujumbura City Hall in a disorderly manner, which has repercussions on the lives of the general population.
On the measure of suspension of river cleaning in Bujumbura City Hall and on the hills overlooking the city of Bujumbura as well as the brick factory in the plots

taken by the OBUHA, the mayor of the city, Jimmy Hatungimana promised its immediate implementation in collaboration with all the other actors, whether law enforcement, the population and the local administration.