BUJUMBURA, March 28th (ABP) – The Yaga Burundi bloggers’ collective has been temporarily suspended for using a false document by its initiator, the Association of Young Burundians for Development (AJEBUDI), when seeking an operating licence for the blog, Espérance Ndayizeye, president of Burundi’s National Media Council (CNC), made that known on Thursday 27 March 2025 at a press conference she hosted at the end of an ordinary plenary meeting of the council, which lasted two days at the premises of that institution.
Ndayizeye explained the situation by pointing out that, having learned that AJEBUDI had presented an inauthentic legal document, the National Media Council (CNC) had referred the matter to the ministry responsible for non-profit associations, requesting information on the legal framework of the said association.
The Ministry concerned, having enlightened the CNC, stated that “the ministerial order approving AJEBUDI has never been found in its archives” and that it is therefore a false document until proven otherwise. It is for that reason, she concluded, that that decision was taken against the blog Yaga Burundi, a sanction that will be reviewed when a ministerial order recognised by the ministry is presented to the CNC.
In addition to the Yaga Burundi blog, the CNC Chairperson Ndayizeye also announced the withdrawal of operating licences from Radio International University of Equator, Radio Mawingu, Radio Wave Lab Ijwi ry’Urwaruka and Burundi Bwiza television, which have not been broadcasting for years. She took the opportunity to make it clear that “that decision was taken to ensure rational management of frequencies, which are becoming scarce, especially in Bujumbura,” Burundi’s economic capital.
During the meeting, two media outlets – Radio Shalom FM and Télévision Look Media Burundi – received operating licences.