Bujumbura : two people found hanged, the death of an 80-year-old woman raises serious suspicions

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, March 9, 2026 – The lifeless bodies of two people were discovered hanged on Sunday, March 8, in two different locations. While the death of an 80-year-old woman has raised many questions among residents, a 42-year-old man reportedly left a suicide note in which he asked for forgiveness from those he had offended.

The two bodies were found hanging from ropes in separate locations. The victims are Marie Nahayo, an 80-year-old woman living on the 6th avenue in the Kagazi neighborhood, Cibitoke zone, and Éric Ndayisenga, 42 years old, from the Rutaba sub-village, on the Nyamakarabo village, in the Mugina district of Bujumbura province, western Burundi.

According to information gathered on site, the death of the elderly woman has raised serious doubts among local residents. Many believe it would be difficult for the woman to have hanged herself from a tree in her yard, given her lack of physical strength.

Faced with these questions, voices are being raised in the neighborhood demanding an investigation to establish the exact circumstances of her death and shed light on this matter.

A farewell letter found

In the second case, that of Éric Ndayisenga, local sources indicate that he left a letter in which he apologized to those he had offended or wronged.

According to some local residents, the man was known as an Imbonerakure, a member of the youth wing of the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD. He had a reputation for having conflicts with many people in the neighborhood.

According to several accounts, he had repeatedly threatened or assaulted residents, using his political affiliation to claim he was untouchable.

In the community, some residents say they do not mourn his passing. Unusually, few people reportedly went to his home on the first day to offer their condolences. His body was apparently handled solely by family members.

Local authorities have not yet officially commented on these two deaths. An investigation could shed light on the exact circumstances of these tragedies.

Since the beginning of 2026, the province of Bujumbura has already recorded the discovery of some thirty bodies. Last year, it was among the deadliest provinces in the small east African nation, according to a report by the Iteka League, a pioneering human rights organization now forced to operate from exile.