Brussels–Paris, October 2026 — The Burundian Human Rights League ITEKA (Ligue Iteka) and King Umurundi Freedom (KUF-ASBL), two human rights organizations, are launching the “Turwanye Amacakubiri n’Ubusuma” campaign, meaning “Let Us Fight Political and Ethnic Divisions and Economic Misconduct,” to promote social cohesion, good governance, transparency, and respect for human rights in Burundi.
The initiative follows a week of international consultations held from 5 to 9 October 2026 in Brussels and Paris, as part of the joint UMUSEKE programme. The two organizations met with representatives of European and French institutions, as well as several international organizations, to discuss the main challenges facing Burundi and the Great Lakes region.
The discussions focused on eight major concerns: the ongoing political crisis since 2015; disputes surrounding the 2025 elections and the shrinking of political space; security challenges in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; tensions between Rwanda and Burundi; economic misconduct and shortages of essential goods; distortions in the foreign exchange market; the rising cost of living and the departure of civil servants; and the deteriorating human rights situation.
Through this campaign, Ligue Iteka and King Umurundi Freedom call on the authorities, political actors, civil society, international partners, and citizens to unite their efforts to combat political and ethnic divisions and economic misconduct, strengthen accountability, and restore trust between the population and public institutions.