Crime in Burundi

The United Kingdom's Foreign Office rates the crime risk in Burundi as high. Frequently reported offences include robbery with firearms or knives, bag snatching, pickpocketing, burglary, vehicle break-ins and armed attacks on vehicles. Political or armed violence belongs here only insofar as it affects a specific security decision during a criminal incident. Reliable current national prevalence data with a verified population denominator are unavailable; the data remain fragmented. For reporting offences and investigations, Burundi's national police, the Police Nationale du Burundi (PNB), the judicial police, the Police Judiciaire (PJ), judicial police officers, the Officiers de Police Judiciaire (OPJ), and the public prosecution service (Ministère public or Parquet) are responsible. OPJ receive reports, complaints and written reports and may also act ex officio when they learn of an offence. The prosecution service receives complaints and reports and decides on the further course. If a case is discontinued, the complainant or victim generally receives written notice within two weeks at the latest; a copy of the discontinuance notice is available on request. Time, place, evidence, witnesses and a copy of the record should be retained. In an acute emergency, the British Foreign Office lists 112. Burundi's ARCT numbering plan lists 111 for the Judicial Police, 112 for the intervention police, 113 for civil protection, 114 for the police and public morals protection, 116 for child protection and the Ministry of Solidarity (Ministère de la Solidarité), and 109 for the Red Cross. Information about 112 and 113 conflicts depending on the source; availability, cost and response time have not been verified. According to the researched status, there is no single public online reporting channel. For sexual or gender-based violence, support connects health care, social assistance, police and the justice system. Law 1/04/2016 provides, among other things, for confidentiality, protection of identity through a pseudonym, avoidance of direct encounters, protected testimony and, where necessary, a videoconference or a closed hearing. A confrontation with the accused person and attendance at a crime-scene reconstruction require the victim's consent. Law 1/13/2016 and the National Strategic Plan 2024–2030 complement this framework; practical implementation varies across the country. Costs for medical treatment, travel, translation, legal assistance and protection may arise. A free medical certificate guaranteed nationwide has not been verified. Human trafficking concerns Burundi as a country of origin and transit, as well as through internal trafficking. Labour and sex trafficking particularly affect children in domestic work, agriculture, fishing and informal employment; poverty, border regions, return and age increase vulnerability. Identification and referral procedures exist, and six support centres are located in Bujumbura, Makamba, Muyinga, Rumonge, Gitega and Cibitoke. Distances limit access. For cross-border cases, BNC INTERPOL in Bujumbura works through the I-24/7 network. Child protection falls under the Ministry of Solidarity, the DPFDS and local child-protection committees. A 2024 ministry presentation reported experiences of violence among nine out of ten children aged 1 to 10 and sexual violence among one in ten girls aged 15 to 19. A U-Report survey of 18,000 participants reported violence in the community for 75 percent; these figures are not representative population prevalence estimates. Fear of retaliation, informal settlements outside court, limited knowledge of available assistance and weak follow-up make reporting more difficult. Number 116 serves as a child-protection channel. For prevention, security authorities recommend not travelling on foot or by public transport after dark, including in central Bujumbura. Doors and windows should remain locked; cash and valuables should be kept discreetly, and cash withdrawals should not be made at night. Secure accommodation, separately stored copies of documents and restraint during armed robberies reduce additional risks. Outside Bujumbura, night-time road travel should be avoided. Roadblocks and document checks are common and are sometimes unofficial; transport and operational capacity are limited outside urban centres. Digital crime is covered by Law 1/10 of 16 March 2022. It includes, among other things, computer fraud, unauthorised access and interference with data or systems. SETIC documents cybersecurity and cybercrime cases, while responsibilities and operational procedures are still being developed. No verified unified reporting channel exists. Screenshots, URLs, timestamps, device and account data, and payment records should be preserved; depending on the case, the PJ, PNB, prosecution service, telecommunications authorities, ARCT or SETIC may be relevant.