News

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF) on Friday expressed deep concern over recent developments in South Sudan, including the reported house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar and renewed violence in the Upper Nile region. In a statement, EACSOF warned that the unfolding tensions threaten to reverse...

GITEGA, Burundi (AP) — DHL Global Forwarding has delivered a mobile heart clinic to Burundi as part of a logistics collaboration with the German nonprofit organization kinderherzen. The clinic is intended to provide pediatric cardiac care for children with congenital heart disease (CHD), a condition that affects many in the region with limited access to treatment.

KAMPALA, Uganda — East African countries are looking to unlock the region’s underutilized leather industry potential, as stakeholders met in Kampala earlier this month to chart a path forward for the sector. The three-day EAC Regional Leather Platform Meeting, held April 3–5, brought together government officials, private sector players, and development partners to identify...

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (Burundi Times) — Burundi’s official 2024 census recorded a total population of 12,332,788, according to newly released government data—figures that differ from World Bank estimates, which projected nearly 13 million in 2023. The latest count marks Burundi’s fourth official census, following previous ones in 1979, 1990, and 2008. The census also revealed...

Burundi has announced that it will reopen its border with Rwanda only after the extradition of members of the RED TABARA rebel group, currently sheltered in Rwanda, according to Rosine Guillene Gatoni, spokesperson of the Burundi president During a live public program in Rumonge last Friday, Gatoni addressed journalists, emphasizing that the ongoing border...

On March 24, 2025, the Muslim community in Rulindo District, Northern Rwanda, sent a formal request to the district mayor, seeking permission to hold Eid al-Fitr prayers at open-air venues after Ramadan. The community proposed five locations—Mahaza, Bugaragara, Rutonde, Mugambazi, and Gasiza—for the prayers, which they stated would not take long. "We request permission...

The National Communication Council (CNC) has temporarily suspended the activities of "Yaga Burundi," a blogging collective that has operated for almost a decade in Burundi. The decision, announced Thursday by CNC President Espérance Ndayizeye, follows the group’s failure to meet legal registration requirements. Despite submitting an application to register as a newspaper in 2022, "Yaga Burundi" did...

NAIROBI, Kenya (March 25, 2025) — East Africa's economic growth is expected to increase to 5.7% in 2025, up from 5.1% in 2024, according to the latest economic outlook presented by the East African Business Council (EABC) in partnership with RSM Eastern Africa. During the CEO Roundtable on East African Integration and Economic Outlook,...

In a commanding performance, Burundi secured a resounding 5-0 victory over Seychelles in their FIFA World Cup qualifying match on March 25, 2025, held at the Stade d'Honneur in Meknès, Morocco. Burundi wasted no time asserting their dominance, opening the scoring in the 22nd minute through Christophe Nduwarugira, who found the net with an...

MOMBASA, Kenya (March 21, 2025) — The East African Community (EAC) has taken a significant step toward enhancing cross-border payments with the regional validation of the Draft EAC Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan. The validation was confirmed during the EAC Regional Payment Systems Steering Committee meeting in Mombasa from March 17-21, 2025. The Masterplan is...