Mabanda – After the attack on a vendor : controversial release of CNDD-FDD members, the population demands exemplary sanctions

SOS Médias Burundi

Burundi, December 20, 2025 – In Mabanda, in Nyanza district in Burunga province, southern Burundi, anger remains high following the violent attack on a sweet potato vendor known as Kabura. Although she has now recovered after several days of hospitalization at the Rusenyi center, residents are denouncing the swift release of the two suspects, both affiliated with the ruling party.

The incident occurred on Friday, December 5, at the Mabanda district market. According to witnesses, Kabura refused to sell her merchandise to brokers who offered her a price she considered ridiculously low. When she refused, the discussion reportedly escalated into violence.

The alleged assailants have been identified as Emmanuel Niyomwungere, the market manager and a member of the CNDD-FDD party, and the market guard, a member of the CNDD-FDD youth wing, the Imbonerakure. Several witnesses claim that the two men violently assaulted the vendor in front of customers before throwing her into a gutter.

Alerted by residents, law enforcement intervened the same day and arrested the two men. However, according to locals, they were released a few days later at the Mabanda district police station, a fact that fuels a deep sense of impunity.

For the vendors, this situation calls into question their fundamental right to sell their goods freely. “If market officials can assault a vendor and walk free, what will happen to us tomorrow?”, a vendor said worryingly.

An attempt at an amicable settlement is reportedly underway between the two parties. But the population rejects this approach and demands that justice act impartially. They believe that leaving the alleged perpetrators unpunished sends the wrong message, likely to encourage further violence in Burundian markets.

The local population is calling on the police and judicial authorities to act swiftly and decisively. For the residents, this case must serve as a powerful signal in the fight against impunity, especially when members of the ruling party are implicated in violence against ordinary citizens.

In Mabanda, there are now fears that this type of attack will be repeated elsewhere if no exemplary measures are taken. “We want a public trial to show that the law protects everyone, even against the powerful,” testifies another vendor.

The traders are also demanding that the Mabanda market once again become a safe space, where everyone can freely sell their produce without fear of political pressure or violence. The population warns : without genuine justice, trust in institutions will continue to erode.