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 not fulfil the necessary conditions outlined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs according to CNC.
In a statement, Ndayizeye clarified that the suspension came after a CNC meeting held on March 26-27, 2025, in which the council reviewed the accreditation status of several media outlets. The council resolved to suspend media houses that had not complied with registration and operational laws in Burundi.
“Yaga Burundi” originates from the Association of Burundian Youth for Integrated Development (AGEBUDI), a group aimed at promoting youth participation in socio-political issues. The CNC indicated that despite prolonged discussions with AGEBUDI, “Yaga Burundi” had not obtained the required permission to operate openly. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also revealed that AGEBUDI’s application, under which “Yaga Burundi” was operating, had not been approved. Furthermore, the CNC noted that some of the documents submitted for approval were found to be invalid.
Espérance Ndayizeye emphasized the need for compliance with the country’s media regulations, stating, “We have decided to temporarily suspend ‘Yaga Burundi’ until they provide an official document confirming their authorization to operate in Burundi. Once that requirement is fulfilled, we will review their case for reopening.”
On its website Yaga Burundi indicated that “Yaga has just learned over the airwaves that is temporarily suspended by the National Communication Council (CNC) this Thursday, March 27th, 2025. We will be contacting the media regulator to obtain more information about this decision.”
In addition to “Yaga Burundi,” the CNC also suspended several other media outlets for noncompliance. These included Radio International of Equator, which had been granted permission to operate in 2017 but had remained inactive since 2020. Other suspended stations included Radio Mawingu, Radio Wave Lab, Ijwi Ry’uwaruka, Burundi Biwza TV, and Mawingu TV. These media outlets had received operational permits but failed to begin broadcasting or became inactive shortly after their permits were issued.
The CNC’s actions are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that media outlets in Burundi operate in accordance with the country’s legal framework and regulatory standards.
