The Agence Burundaise de Presse (ABP) is the official government news agency of Burundi, tasked with gathering and disseminating news across all 18 provinces.
Media assets
News agency: ABP
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The Agence Burundaise de Presse (ABP) was established by Presidential Decree No. 100/092 of 1990 and operates as a public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication, Information Technologies, and Media.
Governance is centralized: the agency is overseen by a board of directors appointed by the President of the Republic, acting on the recommendation of the communication minister. Day-to-day operations are managed by a Director General, who is supported by three deputies responsible for various administrative and editorial functions.
As of 2025, no changes have been introduced to decentralize governance or enhance institutional autonomy. The current leadership continues to be selected through a top-down political process with limited transparency or stakeholder participation.
Source of funding and budget
Although ABP’s founding decree allows for a hybrid funding model—including both public subsidies and self-generated revenue through content sales and consultancy—the agency remains overwhelmingly dependent on state financing.
- In 2019, ABP received BIF 756 million (US$ 430,000), representing nearly 80% of its operational budget.
- In 2021, state support increased to BIF 900 million (US$450,000), reflecting modest budgetary growth.
- According to the 2023–2024 national budget, ABP was allocated BIF 805 million (US$281,000), a notable decrease in both nominal and real terms, likely due to broader fiscal constraints and currency devaluation.
There are no publicly available reports on the agency’s own-source revenue, nor is there evidence of significant income from commercial services in recent years. Financial transparency remains limited.
Editorial independence
ABP functions as a government-aligned news outlet, with its editorial content closely reflecting official narratives. The agency routinely reports on the activities of government authorities, with provincial correspondents acting more as conduits for state messaging than as independent journalists. Critics argue that ABP operates as a de facto public relations arm of the state rather than an impartial news source.
Despite having a set of internal regulations—including Staff Regulations, Internal Rules, and a Procedural Manual—there is no statutory safeguard ensuring editorial independence. Burundi lacks a legal framework that would guarantee the agency’s autonomy from political interference.
While the Observatoire de la Presse du Burundi (OPB) serves as a general watchdog for media performance in the country, it does not exert any meaningful oversight over ABP’s editorial direction. No independent body currently monitors the agency’s content, governance, or adherence to journalistic standards.
June 2025