More than 150 hectares of forest have been burned by persons not yet known on various mountains in Ngozi and Marangara communes during the last 2 weeks.

The Burundian forest code defines forest and bush fires as those that destroy plant and animal formations in the environment, regardless of their size and origin.

Such fires are registered in Ngozi province. The most affected municipality is that of Marangara. 150 hectares of Mount Nyunzwe forests have been reduced to ashes and 5 others in Runda. The town of Ngozi is not spared. Last week, about twenty hectares of trees caught fire there. However, those responsible for this package have not been identified.

Authors warned

The head of the Burundian Office for Environmental Protection, OBPE in acronym, in Ngozi province said he did not have a detailed report of the damage. Laurent Munezero plans to conduct a field raid to inquire about the situation that he considers worrisome. However, he testifies that it has grown considerably compared to last summer.

In collaboration with the administration at the grassroots level, this authority intends to make the population aware of the need to draw contour lines while waiting for ways to preserve these forests. In addition, it warns the perpetrators of these fires. The culprits will be severely punished once apprehended.

Moreover, article 212 of the Forest Code reveals that any violation of the regulation of bushfires and forest fires is punishable by a term of imprisonment of ten to twenty years and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 Burundian francs.