Burundi : a CNIDH employee missing for nearly two weeks

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, March 10, 2026 — An employee of the National Independent Human Rights Commission (CNIDH) has been missing since February 25, 2026, in Bujumbura. She is Chadia Mukaremera, and her disappearance remains shrouded in mystery.

According to CNIDH Vice-President Gérard Rugemintwaza, Chadia Mukaremera left her home, located in the Nyakabiga neighborhood, 13th Avenue, No. 22, on the morning of February 25 to go to work.

Arriving around 7:00 a.m. on Muyinga Avenue, not far from the CNIDH headquarters in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, she reportedly received a phone call from a colleague. During the call, she indicated that she was going to work. Since then, her phone has remained switched off, and she has never reported to work.

At a press conference held on March 8, 2026, to mark the International Women’s Day, the commission’s vice-president stated that the institution had spared no effort in trying to find her.

“We regret not being with her today. The circumstances of her disappearance are unknown,” said Gérard Rugemintwaza. He specified that searches had been conducted at her home and in several other locations where she might be held, but without success.

According to him, the National Independent Human Rights Commission (CNIDH) has no evidence to suggest that Chadia Mukaremera was arrested by the police, abducted, or held against her will. However, he assured that preliminary investigations are ongoing to clarify the matter.

The commission calls on anyone with information that could help locate Chadia Mukaremera to cooperate with the institution. It also urged the missing woman, if she is able, to make contact.

This disappearance has reignited concerns about missing persons cases in Burundi. For some observers, the fact that an employee of a state institution responsible for human rights protection is herself missing illustrates the persistence of enforced disappearances and abductions in the country.

This concern is further amplified by the Iteka League’s report.

The Iteka League, a pioneer in human rights advocacy in Burundi and now forced to operate from exile, documented more than 400 people killed in the country in 2025 amidst widespread human rights violations, including 55 people abducted or reported missing. It pointed the finger at the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, as well as members of the security forces and the National Intelligence Service (SNR) as the main alleged perpetrators.

The organization also noted the continued phenomenon of the discovery of bodies, with 233 corpses found in 2025, demonstrating the seriousness of the problem and the persistent impunity in several regions of the country. The disappearance of Chadia Mukaremera is thus part of a broader context of concern for security and human rights in Burundi.