Murwi : a sexagenerian killed with a machete, two young Imbonerakure arrested

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, May 7, 2025 – The lifeless body of Darius Nduwayo, 62 years old, was found in his home in Kigazi village, Buhayira Zone. Two young members of the Imbonerakure League, also close relatives of the victim, were arrested. This tragedy adds to a series of unsolved murders in this district in Cibitoke province, located in northwestern Burundi.

A new crime has rocked Murwi district, in Cibitoke province. On the night of May 6-7, Darius Nduwayo, a father of nine children, was killed with a machete while sleeping in his house in Kigazi village, Buhayira zone.

Local sources indicate that the victim was attacked by unidentified individuals. But suspicion quickly turned to two young men affiliated with the Imbonerakure league, the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party. These two youths, also members of the deceased’s family, were arrested by the police.

A security source claims that the suspects are regularly cited in unsolved murder cases in the region. Their alleged involvement could be linked to a land dispute recently settled by the courts in the victim’s favor.

Who are the Imbonerakure?

The Imbonerakure (“those who see far” in Kirundi) are the youth league of the CNDD-FDD, the former Hutu rebellion that became the ruling party in 2005 following the Arusha Agreement of August 2000. Present in all provinces of the country, they are officially responsible for supporting the party’s actions and supervising youth. However, they are regularly accused by human rights organizations of being involved in acts of intimidation, violence against opponents, illegal arrests, and extrajudicial executions. They also participate in night patrols alongside law enforcement and border surveillance.

This murder is not an isolated incident in the Murwi region. Indeed, in recent months, several murders have rocked the district, often in similar circumstances, without those responsible having been identified or brought to justice. This climate of violence, marked by the absence of effective justice, fuels a growing sense of impunity and mistrust among the local population.

Contacted by SOS Médias Burundi, the district administrator of Murwi, Melchiade Nzokizwanayo, denied any political involvement : “It is too early to make such an accusation. Let’s await the results of the investigations,” he declared, calling on the population to remain calm.

However, residents are expressing growing concern.

“This isn’t the first time people have been killed in this area and no one has been brought to justice,” confided a Kigazi resident, speaking anonymously.

Investigations are ongoing under the supervision of the Cibitoke prosecutor’s office. In the meantime, bereaved families are demanding justice while fear and silence descend in the villages.

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Cibitoke residents outside the provincial court, following the trial of a man who killed his son on March 6, 2025. It is the same court that will try the two Imbonerakure (SOS Médias Burundi)