In Burundi, the more than 7,000 street children identified in the country, as well as the thousands of adult beggars and other ” wanderers “, had until Tuesday, July 5 to abandon practices that “ deteriorate » Burundian culture, according to an ultimatum issued by the government. The Ministry in charge of National Solidarity and Human Rights has warned that repeat offenders could be subject to criminal prosecution.
Recalcitrants who are not going to immediately stop a practice that the Burundian ministry in charge of national solidarity and human rights describes as ” despicable now expose themselves to the rigors of the law. This provides for penalties of up to 15 years in prison.
But in reality, the authorities no longer want to see them on the streets. They are therefore preparing, as in 2018, systematic roundups of these street children, adult beggars and other vagrants, who will then be taken to transit centers where they will be sorted before being sent back to their communities. origin. But already at the time, it had given nothing since they had all returned after some time.
Ferdinand Ntamahungiro, national coordinator of the National Federation of Associations Engaged in the Field of Childhood in Burundi (Fenadeb), deplores the measure, which should be “ well studied to remove these children from the street while respecting the rights of the child » :
What is certain is that the result was not satisfactory, because these children always ended up on the street. There are even some who, after being dropped off at the centres, automatically returned and arrived in Bujumbura on the trucks that had taken them. So, in itself, it is an operation that requires accompanying measures, so that this operation can succeed. We are asking that the measure be well studied and that it see how to remove these children from the street while respecting the rights of the child and that these children can no longer return to the streets.
Ferdinand Ntamahungiro is worried about this chosen strategy, while all the stakeholders in the field, including the ministry, had developed a strategy for their withdrawal and reintegration, but which is unfortunately not followed today.
In Burundi, Ferdinand Ntamahungiro is concerned about the criminalization of street children
No official wanted to speak for the moment, but the Burundian government has already warned: anyone caught giving alms to street children and other beggars is liable to the same criminal penalties.
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