CIBITOKE, March 25 (ABP) – As part of the Burundian government’s commitment to the decentralization process and local development, a meeting of development partners of Cibitoke commune was organized on Wednesday, March 19, 2026, in Cibitoke, by the ministry of the interior, community development and public security, with the support of the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation (Enabel).
According to the representative of the said ministry, Isidonie Niyokindi, the meeting was dedicated to raising awareness among partners about sectoral consultation groups at the level of Cibitoke commune. She stated that within this framework, communes occupy a very strategic place in the planning and implementation of development actions.
Moreover, in accordance with the laws governing decentralization and communal administration, communes are called upon to develop and implement local planning tools. These include the Communal Community Development Plan (PCDC), which defines the commune’s strategic orientations over five years, and the Annual Budget Work Plan (PTBA), which operationalizes the priorities of the PCDC through concrete and budgeted actions. According to her, these tools constitute essential references for guiding the interventions of development actors at the communal level.
In addition, development efforts at the local level must be consistent with the national and international strategic framework, notably the revised National Development Plan (PND), the Burundi Vision 2040-2060, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she emphasized.
Despite the efforts made, it is sometimes observed that the interventions of different development actors at the communal level lack sufficient coordination. This situation can lead to duplication of activities, inefficient use of resources, or disparities in the coverage of interventions, she pointed out. Ms. Niyokindi added that Cibitoke commune, like others, faces development challenges in implementing the PCDC.
As for the Executive Secretary of Cibitoke commune, Mitterrand Ndayikengurukiye, that meeting enabled his commune to bring together development partners for initial contact and to create a platform composed of intervention groups. The four groups are: the environment, agriculture, livestock and rural development sector group; the education, vocational training, sports and culture sector group; the health, HIV/AIDS control, drinking water, hygiene and sanitation sector group; and the governance, social protection, human rights and gender sector group.
Consequently, the platform will help strengthen the synergy among development actors. He also noted that after the presentation of planning documents such as the PCDC and the PTBA, partners must refer to them in their interventions. He did not fail to remind that every stakeholder operating in the commune must first report to the communal authority before going to any hill or locality.