Agence Burundaise de Presse (ABP) is a government-run news agency covering all 18 provinces in Burundi.
Media assets
News agency: ABP
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
ABP was established under the Presidential Decree no. 100/092 of 1990, as a government-owned entity under the authority of the minister of communication. ABP has a board of directors appointed by the President based on the recommendation of the minister. ABP is governed by a director assisted by three deputies.
Source of funding and budget
According to the Decree that is the founding basis of the agency, ABP is supposed to be financed through a combination of state subsidies and revenues generated through sale of content and consultancy services. In 2019, the agency received a subsidy of BIF 756m (US$ 430,000) from the state budget, which accounted for nearly 80% of the agency’s budget. In 2021, it received a state subsidy of nearly BIF 900m (US$ 450,000), according to the latest budget from the finance ministry.
Editorial independence
ABP is controlled by the government, which has a decisive say in the agency’s editorial policy. ABP covers the activities of local authorities, their local correspondents operating practically as spokespersons of the provincial authorities, which are directly controlled by the government. Hence, ABP is openly biased towards the government in its reporting.
ABP has Staff Regulations, Internal Rules, Regulations and a Procedure Manual that are supposed to be used by the staff in their work. No domestic statute though that would establish the editorial independence of the agency has been identified.
Observatoire de la Presse Burundi, an NGO, plays a general oversight role in the media in Burundi. However, ABP has no oversight or assessment mechanism that would validate the editorial independence of the agency.
September 2023