Burundi : over 400 people killed in 2025, Imbonerakure and security forces singled out by the Iteka League

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, January 26, 2026 – More than 400 people were killed in Burundi in 2025 amid massive human rights violations, according to the annual report of the Iteka League. The human rights organization points the finger at the youth wing of the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, as well as members of the security forces and the National Intelligence Service (SNR), as the main alleged perpetrators of these abuses.

An alarming death toll

In its report covering the year 2025, the Iteka League indicates that it documented 662 incidents of human rights violations resulting in 892 victims across the country. Of these, 402 people were killed, 156 suffered gender-based violence, including 104 sexual assaults, 53 were tortured, 55 were abducted or went missing, and 217 were victims of arbitrary arrest and detention. Nine other cases were classified in a miscellaneous category, including assault and battery and suicides.

The organization also notes the continued phenomenon of the discovery of bodies : 233 corpses were found during 2025.

Imbonerakure and State forces implicated

According to the Iteka League, the Imbonerakure youth wing, the youth league of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, are among the main alleged perpetrators of the documented violations. The report attributes 110 cases to them, followed by police officers involved in 83 cases, SNR agents in 31 cases, and the military in 11 cases.

Furthermore, 73 cases are linked to settling of scores involving unidentified individuals. Other violations are attributed to ordinary citizens, including shopkeepers (132 cases), administrative staff (19 cases), infanticides (18 cases), poisonings (two cases), and acts of mob justice (five cases).

Political actors also affected

Although the political affiliation of the majority of victims is unknown, political parties have not been spared. The Iteka League reports that 44 members of the CNDD-FDD, 35 activists from the CNL, the main opposition party, one member of the MSD, and 10 members of UPRONA are among the identified victims.

Bujumbura, Gitega, and Burunga lead the way

Geographically, Bujumbura province, in the west of the country and including the commercial capital, leads in human rights violations, followed by Gitega, in the center of the country, home to the political capital, and Burunga, in the south, according to the Iteka League.

No official response

A spokesperson for the Burundian government was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

An organization in exile and challenged by the authorities

The Iteka League is among the human rights organizations that have been working from exile since the failed coup of May 2015. It is listed by the Burundian authorities as one of the organizations and institutions accused of producing reports that “tarnish the image of the country, its leaders, and its institutions.”

On January 3, 2017, the Burundian government announced its decision to permanently remove the Iteka League from the list of NGOs authorized to operate in Burundi, a measure retroactive to December 21, 2016. According to Burundian authorities, this organization, a member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), had “tarnished the country’s image and sought to divide the Burundian community.”

A source still used by Burundi’s partners

Despite this ban, the Iteka League’s reports continue to be widely used by the partners of the small East African nation, particularly to hold Burundian authorities accountable or to justify targeted sanctions against certain officials.

In its recommendations, the Iteka League calls on the Burundian government to guarantee respect for fundamental rights, including the right to life, physical integrity, and liberty, and to end impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations.