| Port of Bujumbura | |
|---|---|
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | |
| Country | Burundi |
| Location | Bujumbura |
| Coordinates | 3°22′37″S29°20′45″E / 3.377056°S 29.345802°E |
| Details | |
| Opened | 19 |
| Operated by | Global Port Services Burundi (GPSB) |
| Owned by | Burundi Maritime, Port and Railway Authority |
The Port of Bujumbura is a port on Lake Tanganyika serving the city of Bujumbura, Burundi.
The Port of Bujumbura is the largest port on Lake Tanganyika, the others being Mpulungu (Zambia), Kalemie (Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Kigoma (Tanzania). Rumonge, to the south, has the only other large landing site in Burundi. [1]
The port is northeast of the lake, north of the Boulevard du Port, west of the Avenue du Lac and RN5 Boulevard Melchior Ndadatya, and south of the Ntahangwa River. The Brarudi Brewery is to the northeast of the port. [2] The Buyenzi Canal, a storm water canal, flows from the Buyenzi District into the port basin, carrying sediment and sand, domestic waste water, debris and factory waste. [3] Regular dredging is required to remove sediment. There is an oil jetty and oil storage owned by SEP (Société d'Entreposage Pétrolier au Burundi) about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the north of the port. [1]
Burundi depends on neighboring countries for access to the ocean: [4]
80% of Burundi's external trade is carried via the last three routes, using the Port of Bujumbura. [4]
The port manages receipt and delivery of exports and imports, whether carried by ship or by truck. As of 2011 more than 90% of cargo handled was imports, of which about 60% entered by ship and 40% by truck. All imports were carried out of the port by truck. Exports are carried into the port by truck and taken away by ship or truck. [5] The port also handles goods in transit to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [6]
The outer harbor is a transition zone partially sheltered from the waves in which boats can wait or maneuver. The port basin is 450 by 100 metres (1,480 by 330 ft) and is used for loading and unloading cargo. [7] In total, the port has 920m of quays, with a draught of 4 to 8 metres (13 to 26 ft). The north jetty is 330 metres (1,080 ft) long, of which 150 metres (490 ft) is used as an oil terminal. The south bank is 220 metres (720 ft) long, with several passenger ship berths, and is protected by the 120 metres (390 ft) south jetty. [4]
There are four gantry cranes mounted on rails for general cargo, a fixed derrick and a mobile crane for containers and heavy loads, two front loaders for containers and ten forklifts. [8] The port has an open storage space and warehouses that cover 18,560 square metres (199,800 sq ft). [8]
Shipping on Lake Tanganyika is dominated by companies based in Burundi, including ARNOLAC, BATRALAC and RAD Marine. The port handles bagged cement, sugar, fertilizers etc., oil, motor vehicles, machinery and containers. [1]
The Port of Bujumbura was built in 1959, with capacity of 200,000 tons. In 1989–92 it was expanded to 500,000 tons. Until 1992 it was run as a parastatal. In 1992 it was leased for ten years to EPB (Société Concessionnaire de l'Exploitation du Port de Bujumbura), a public-private partnership owned 43% by the state and 57% private. The lease was later extended. [9]
Presidential Decree No. 100/252 of 4 October 2011 established the Burundi Maritime, Port and Railway Authority (BMPRA) as owner, with the mandate of consolidating the port and enhancing private sector participation in port management and operations. [10] The EBP concession ran to the end of 2012. [11] Decree No100/311 of 27 November 2012 authorized the state of Burundi to take an ownership share in Global Port Services Burundi, a concessionary company to operate the Port of Bujumbura. [12]
A project to renovate the Port of Bujumbura was officially launched on 17 August 2023 and was expected to take 24 months. The ceremony was attended by Marie Chantal Nijimbere, Minister of Trade, Transport, Industry and Tourism, and representatives of theEuropean Union and the African Development Bank. The cost of €79 million will be funded in part by the African Development Bank Group (€23.4 million), and the European Union (€29 million). The project involves acquiring port operations equipment, improving access roads and building staff capacity. The port should become a hub, linking the main roads leading to the interior of Burundi, and will improve trade with the other countries bordering Lake Tanganyika. [13]
The port was damaged in 2023/2024 by floods that cause the waters of Lake Tanganyika to rise. This made hangars and offices unusable, and reduced the parking space for trucks. The oil jetty had been rehabilitated, but was submerged, and the pipelines had to be reinstalled. However, by May 2024 the modernization works were 98% complete and were to be received in October that year. A container terminal with capacity for about 400 containers was complete. There were plans to build a passenger quay. [14]
There are a number of systems of transport in Burundi, including road and water-based infrastructure, the latter of which makes use of Lake Tanganyika. Furthermore, there are also some airports in Burundi.
Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has always been difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country. Furthermore, chronic economic mismanagement and internal conflict has led to serious under-investment over many years.
Transport in Tanzania includes road, rail, air and maritime networks. The road network is 86,472 kilometres (53,731 mi) long, of which 12,786 kilometres (7,945 mi) is classified as trunk road and 21,105 kilometres (13,114 mi) as regional road. The rail network consists of 3,682 kilometres (2,288 mi) of track. Commuter rail service is in Dar es Salaam only. There are 28 airports, with Julius Nyerere International being the largest and the busiest. Ferries connect Mainland Tanzania with the islands of Zanzibar. Several other ferries are active on the countries' rivers and lakes.
Bujumbura, formerly Usumbura, is the economic capital, largest city and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton and tin ore. Bujumbura was formerly the country's political capital. In late December 2018, Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would follow through on a 2007 promise to return Gitega its former political capital status, with Bujumbura remaining as economical capital and center of commerce. A vote in the Parliament of Burundi made the change official on 16 January 2019, with all branches of government expected to move to Gitega within three years.
Ujiji is the oldest town in western Tanzania and is located in Kigoma-Ujiji District of Kigoma Region. Originally a Swahili settlement and then an Arab slave trading post by the mid-nineteenth century nominally under the Sultanate of Zanzibar, the town is the oldest in western Tanzania. In 1900, the population was estimated at 10,000 and in 1967 about 41,000. The site is a registered National Historic Site.
Kigoma is a city and lake port in Kigoma-Ujiji District in Tanzania, on the northeastern shores of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi and The Democratic Republic of the Congo. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has a population of 232,388. The city is situated at an elevation of 775 metres (2,543 ft).
Mpulungu is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika.
Kalemie, formerly Albertville or Albertstad, is a city on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Lukuga River, that drains Lake Tanganyika to the Lualaba River, runs through the city. Kalemie is the capital of Tanganyika Province.
MV Liemba, formerly Graf Goetzen or Graf von Goetzen, is a passenger and cargo ferry that runs along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. The Marine Services Company Limited of Tanzania sails her, with numerous stops to pick up and set down passengers, between the ports of Kigoma, Tanzania and Mpulungu, Zambia.
MV Mwongozo is a mixed passenger and cargo ferry on Lake Tanganyika operated by the Marine Services Company Limited. She can carry up to 800 passengers and 80 tons of cargo. Her accommodation includes open sleeping areas, individual cabins and a passenger dining saloon. She can take cars and small trucks on her forward deck.
Burundi is a producer of columbium (niobium) and tantalum ore, tin ore, and tungsten ore, and some deposits of gold which are designated for export. Burundi has resources of copper, cobalt, nickel, feldspar, phosphate rock, quartzite, and rare reserves of uranium, and vanadium.
The Natural regions of Burundi are geographical subdivisions of Burundi that date to colonial times. They can be broadly grouped into the Plain zone in the west beside Lake Tanganyika and the East African Rift valley, the Congo-Nile ridge, the Central Plateaus and the Depressions to the north, east and south of the plateaus.
The Ntahangwa River is a river in Burundi that flows through the city of Bujumbura..
The Nyengwe River is a river in Rumonge Province, Burundi, that flows into Lake Tanganyika.
The Bujumbura Thermal Power Station is a 5.5 MW thermal power station in the Commune of Buyenzi in Bujumbura Mairie Province, Burundi. It is owned by Regideso Burundi.
Global Port Services Burundi, or GPSB, is a public-private partnership that operates the Port of Bujumbura in Burundi.
Société d'Entreposage Pétrolier au Burundi, is a private company that operates a fuel storage depot near the Port of Bujumbura in Burundi.
Société Pétroliere du Burundi, or SOPEBU, is a public company that imports, stores and distributes petroleum products in Burundi.
Société de l’Armement Nord des Grands Lacs , is a private company that operates a fleet of cargo boats on Lake Tanganyika. It is based in the Port of Bujumbura in Burundi.
Bateau de transport sur lac, is a private company that operates cargo boats on Lake Tanganyika. It is based in the Port of Bujumbura in Burundi.