Travel Safety in Burundi

There are several concerns associated with travel to Burundi. Crime, both petty and violent, affects both local and foreign nationals, most notably in Bujumbura.

Although kidnapping has not established itself as a countrywide concern, the risk is significant in the provinces of Bubanza, Bujumbura rural and Cibitoke where armed groups operate. These areas also face elevated conflict and crime risks.

Civil unrest occurs on occassion in Burundi and is largely associated with the socio-economic pressures and popular resistance to the CNDD-FDD ruling party. When events do occur, they tend to be rapidly dispersed, with security forces often resorting to lethal crowd control measures. Apart from protests, other forms of political violence in the country have taken the form of grenade attacks, assassinations of government officials and military insurrections. Foreign nationals, particularly those of French and Belgian citizenry, have also faced intimidation by government authorities who have accused them of espionage.

Medical facilities are poor in Burundi both within and outside of major urban centres.