The work of OLUCOME focuses on fighting corruption and economic embezzlement. Activities are divided into a number of areas; investigations, denunciations, legal proceedings, legislation, awareness raising and education for the prevention of of corruption and different forms of embezzlement. In all of these areas, OLUCOME has already carried out a considerable amount of work.

"It is not easy to defend human rights in a country such as Burundi. In fact, Burundi has spent the last 30 years in the midst of a civil war. During this time there has been every type of serious violation of human rights: assassinations within the community, war crimes, various white collar crimes and corruption of every sort. Similarly, human rights defenders cannot work freely (freedom of opinion is not respected). They are intimidated by those in power and their lives are often in danger.

For my own part in September of 2004, I was held illegally, handcuffed and imprisoned for 2 days in the cells of the PSR, Special Haulage Police for having investigated the sale of illegal driving licenses and corruption in the police force. Both these issues were the cause of serious road accidents. While imprisoned, I caught typhoid fever due to the degrading and inhuman conditions in the cells. They also brought me to the capital hancuffed and with torn clothes. Fortunately the Public Security Ministry reacted quickly by adopting serious and proportionate measures. During the time I spent in the cell, insects stung me in my left ear and my eardrum was infected. Now I have to undergo a surgical operation. OLUCOME lodged a complaint against the policeman who had placed me illegally in the cell, but he was never troubled excessively. But the Minister of Public Security at the time reacted quickly in adopting serious measures in relation to the issue.

In May of 2006 a gang of 30 thugs burst into the offices of OLUCOME, the Observatory for the Struggle against Corruption and Economic Embezzlement, where they manhandled and detained the organisation’s staff and then closed the exits of the observatory with two huge padlocks for the day. Police were present throughout.

At the start of August 2006, I was imprisoned for 4 months for having led inquiries and published reports about embezzlement carried out by some members of the government in collusion with businessmen (the illegal sale of 1,500 tons of haricot beans, 1,800 barrels of oil and of the presidential airplane FALCON 50).

The imprisonment was illegal and irregular, and did not take account of the law. The judge, Mr. Lievin Macumi, summoned me and sent me directly to the central prison of Bujumbura without making me aware of the reason for the court appearance or allowing me to speak on my own behalf.

Several days passed and I was not able to appear before the jurisdiction of the court. Subsequently several people physically and morally became involved, in particular my fellow human rights defenders both locally and internationally, by denouncing my improper arrest and illegal imprisonment. It was not until December 13th, 2006, 4 months later that I was freed. This liberty is still provisional.

Furthermore, 2 weeks after my imprisonment the same judge Lievin Macumi, illegally imprisoned three journalists from digital radio for investigating and broadcasting so-called information about committing imaginary crimes against the state. We continue to receive death threats from anonymous callers.

However, despite the threats facing OLUCOME’s members, by June 2007 it had already produced more than 473 repots where the State lost more than 186 million American dollars. This difficult task is made all the harder by the impunity which affects Burundi’s society like gangrene. From 1998 until the present day no record of corruption or embezzlement which exceeded 10,000 American dollars has been closed in favour of the exchequer."