Rumonge : a man in his forties jailed after investigation launched into alleged sexual assault of a minor

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, July 21, 2026 — A 40-year-old man has been detained for a week in the police station in Rumonge, Burunga province, after being reported by a 15-year-old girl who accuses him of abducting her and allegedly sexually assaulting her. An investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances of the events.

According to administrative sources contacted by SOS Médias Burundi, the suspect was arrested by the joint security committee of Gitaba village, in Rumonge district. He is prosecuted as part of an investigation into alleged sexual assault of a minor.

The joint security committees, present in several localities across Burundi, include members of the defense and security forces, representatives of the local administration, former combatants from the former Hutu rebellion that became the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party since 2005 following the Arusha Agreement of August 2000, as well as members of the Imbonerakure, the CNDD-FDD youth wing. According to several observers, these committees are largely composed of members of this youth wing.

According to statements from the young girl and her relatives, the teenager was abducted while she was going to collect firewood in Gitaba village. Her family also claims that she had received death threats before the alleged incident.

After the alleged events, her parents took her to the Muyange health center, located in the Rusabagi zone, where she received medical treatment.

Child rights advocates report that the suspect was arrested on July 11, 2026, by members of the Gitaba Joint Security Committee. He was initially held in the Rusabagi zone jail before being transferred the following day to the Rumonge Provincial Police Station jail, where he remains detained.

The victim’s family and several child rights advocates are calling on the judicial authorities to investigate this case diligently so that the truth is revealed and those responsible are held accountable.

The investigation is ongoing. In accordance with the principle of presumption of innocence, the suspect is considered innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.