Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On Wednesday April 8, 2026, Mr. Séverin MBARUBUKEYE, Permanent Secretary in charge of East African Community Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, launched the proceedings of the workshop dedicated to the national consultations on the participation of Burundian youth in the activities of the East African Community (EAC). The workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including young representatives from universities operating in Burundi, youth leaders, and partners engaged in youth promotion.
In his speech, Séverin MBARUBUKEYE emphasized that these consultations are of major importance for young people, for Burundi and for the region, since it is widely recognized that the Treaty establishing the East African Community gives a significant place to youth. In this regard, he referred to Article 120, which highlights the need for Partner States to adopt a common approach in favor of vulnerable groups, among which young people are included. According to him, this provision reflects a strong conviction: youth are at the heart of the regional integration process.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the EAC Secretariat has put in place several initiatives, notably through the Nyerere Centre for Peace and Research, which has been training young people since 2011 on key subjects such as peace, governance and human rights. However, despite these important opportunities, he regretted to note that the level of participation of young Burundians remains low. This situation is the most worrying because many opportunities are offered within the framework of regional integration but are insufficiently exploited by Burundian youth. He specifically cited scholarships provided by various partners and donors, awards presented at the Summits of Young Leaders, participation in university debates, including the annual election of a young ambassador and his deputy as well as numerous exchange and training programmes.
He stressed that these opportunities, which arise every year, often remain little known or underused, mainly due to a lack of information, awareness and, at times, certain structural constraints. The underlying problem of the low level of participation by Burundian youth should not be seen as inevitable, but rather as a call for collective action, added Séverin MBARUBUKEYE.
The Permanent Secretary also stated that the objective of the national consultations is to pave the way for the creation of an inclusive framework for dialogue enabling better information and awareness-raising, an in-depth analysis of the causes of this low level of participation and, above all, the formulation of concrete and operational recommendations. He specified that Burundi’s ambition is clear: to have an informed, competent, engaged Burundian youth that is fully active in regional integration. He reminded that the Burundian youth are not meant to undergo regional integration passively but to take part in it through its four pillars and in the implementation of all signed protocols.
Finally, the Permanent Secretary invited the young participants to show a critical, constructive and committed spirit, in order to identify without complacency the obstacles that hinder their full participation, whether related to information, organization, capacities or the institutional environment. He stressed that these consultations are a timely opportunity for advocacy and a forum for formulating pertinent recommendations to all stakeholders involved in youth promotion, with a view to putting in place effective and sustainable mechanisms to strengthen young people’s involvement in national and regional life.
Closing his remarks, Mr. Séverin MBARUBUKEYE concluded that the Government of Burundi, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, reaffirms its commitment to support youth so they can fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the EAC.