Gitega : after a deadly robbery, three suspected assailants lynched by an angry mob

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, June 2, 2026 – Four people were killed in less than 24 hours in the Murago and Muyange villages, in the district and province of Gitega, in central Burundi. A man was killed during an armed robbery on Sunday night, before three suspected perpetrators of the attack were lynched by angry residents the following morning.

According to witnesses, the events began on the night of Sunday, May 31, around 10 p.m., in Murago village. Gaspard Ngendakumana and his wife Anitha were returning home on a motorcycle when they were ambushed by men armed with rifles.

During the attack, Gaspard Ngendakumana was seriously wounded by gunfire. He was evacuated to Saint-Thérèse Hospital in Songa, Gitega province, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after admission. His wife sustained minor injuries.

The assailants also made off with an undetermined sum of money, according to Audace Ndiracuza, a local elected official from Murago village, who confirmed the events.

The situation took a dramatic turn on the morning of Monday, June 1st. Convinced they had identified the perpetrators of the attack, residents went to the neighboring Muyange village to search for them.

According to several local sources, three men identified as Eric Ntakarutimana, Aaron Yamuremye, and Pastor Nininahazwe were apprehended and then brutally beaten by an angry mob. They died at the scene. Their bodies were then transferred to the morgue at the Gitega Regional Hospital.

Accusations and security context

According to local witnesses, the alleged perpetrators of the robbery, as well as some of the ringleaders of the lynching, are linked to the youth wing of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, the Imbonerakure. These allegations have not been officially confirmed by the authorities.

A local journalist also states that no arrests have been made so far in connection with this case.

The Imbonerakure are regularly described by the authorities as participating in night patrols alongside the police and in securing certain border areas with the army. In some cases, according to several sources, they may be armed during these missions. They have also been reported in recent years alongside Burundian forces in operations conducted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as part of the security cooperation between Gitega and Kinshasa.

The ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, presents its youth structures as a pillar of mobilization and community development.

Reaction of the authorities

Following these events, administrative, police, and judicial authorities went to the scene to calm tensions and prevent further violence. The governor of Gitega province, Liboire Bigirimana, the Gitega district administrator, Jacques Nduwimana, the regional police commissioner, Colonel Aloys Nduwayo, and the Attorney General at the Gitega Court of Appeal, Aline Bukuru, met with residents of the two villages.

The authorities announced the opening of investigations to establish the exact circumstances of the robbery, identify any accomplices, and determine responsibility for the lynching of the three alleged assailants.

This tragedy brings back to the forefront the issue of mob justice in certain areas of Burundi, in a context where trust between the population, security forces, and judicial institutions remains fragile.