Gitega : two Men found hanged within three days, fear takes hold

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, November 10, 2025 – The province of Gitega, home to Burundi’s political capital, has once again been shaken by two gruesome discoveries made three days apart. Two men were found hanged under suspicious circumstances, one in the Nyamugari neighborhood in the city center, and the other in Bugumbasha village in Gitega district. These tragedies have reignited concerns about the increasing number of mysterious deaths, plunging the population into fear and anger.

Nyamugari : a young man found hanged in the kitchen

On Wednesday, November 5, the lifeless body of 18-year-old Enea Niyomukiza was discovered hanging in a kitchen in the Nyamugari neighborhood.

According to witnesses, the victim was found suspended by a rope. Initial findings suggest a murder disguised as a suicide, a hypothesis confirmed by Majaliwa Ndayisaba, the neighborhood chief.

“The motives for the crime are not yet known, but everything points to the victim being tied up and killed before being hanged to make it look like a suicide,” he stated.

The young man was suspected of stealing cottonseed oil and had reportedly been severely beaten before his death. Four suspects were arrested that same evening, including his employer, Cléante Iradukunda, as well as Claude Nduwimana, Jean de Dieu Iradukunda, and Kenny Nkurunziza, three of his colleagues. They were taken to the Gitega police station. The body was transported to the morgue at the Gitega Regional Hospital.

Bugumbasha : a man in his forties found hanged from a tree

On Saturday, November 8, 40-year-old Léonard Kwizera was found hanged from a tree using a mosquito net in Bugumbasha village.

According to a witness, the scene was discovered early in the morning. The information was confirmed by Pélagie Niyongabo, the deputy chief of the village, who indicated that the exact circumstances of the tragedy are not yet clear and that an investigation was underway.

Ms. Niyongabo suggests the possibility of suicide linked to family conflicts, but several residents reject this version.

“The victim was likely tied up, killed elsewhere, and then hung from this tree to make it look like suicide,” suspects a resident, who is calling for independent investigations to establish the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The body was buried on Sunday, November 9.

A series of suspicious deaths that worry the population

Since June 2025, SOS Médias Burundi has already documented nearly 50 people killed in mysterious circumstances in Gitega province. Several bodies have been found hanging from trees, in their homes, or floating in rivers, with most investigations remaining unsolved.

These repeated discoveries are fueling fear and anger among residents, who denounce growing insecurity and persistent impunity in the province.