**Gitega Market Security Measures Impact Local Businesses**
**GITEGA** – Local authorities and police in Gitega have implemented a strict 5:00 p.m. closure policy for the city’s central market, a measure intended to prevent the devastating fires that have recently affected several commercial centers across Burundi.
While the administration maintains that the lockdown is a necessary fire-prevention and security strategy, the policy has drawn criticism from local business owners and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Affected merchants report that the security measures have extended beyond the market premises, impacting their ability to operate and move freely in the vicinity. Traders have alleged that they are facing increased police harassment during nighttime hours, leading to rising tensions between the local business community and law enforcement.
The administration has not yet issued a formal response to the complaints regarding the impact of these security protocols on the surrounding commercial areas.
Article and image source: iwacu-burundi.org
