Gitega : a septuagenarian found with h8s throat slit in Rutegama, a land dispute suspected

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, November 16, 2025 – The once relatively calm province of Gitega appears to be spiraling into violence. Around ten bodies have been found since last October, including victims hanged in their homes or from trees, and very few perpetrators have been arrested. Residents are demanding an end to impunity and serious investigations.

On Saturday, November 15, 2025, 70-year-old Emmanuel Rucumuhimba was found with his throat slit in a coffee tree located about 500 meters from his home in Rutegama village, in the Buhevyi zone. According to Bernard Ntakarutimana, the village chief, the victim was killed “like an animal.” After the crime, the perpetrators took the victim’s bicycle and a bag of rice he had just had husked.

Initial leads point to a land dispute as the motive : Emmanuel Rucumuhimba had recently won a case in the Local Court against some members of his family. To date, no suspects have been arrested, and the investigation continues.

According to SOS Médias Burundi, the increasing number of bodies and the lack of progress in the investigations are turning Gitega into a “cemetery province,” a grim parallel to the Cibitoke region, which borders Congo. Residents and local stakeholders are now demanding serious investigations and an end to impunity.