Gatumba attack : the government reveals an alarming death toll

This Saturday afternoon, Jérôme Niyonzima, spokesperson for the Burundian government, announced the sad news of the loss of 20 lives in Vugizo, in the Gatumba zone in western Burundi, not far from the border with the DRC, occurred this Friday evening. In an official press release, Jérôme Niyonzima speaks of people “savagely killed in nine targeted homes”. The Burundian armed group based in South Kivu, Red Tabara, claimed responsibility for this attack, however denying having targeted civilians, but claiming to have killed 9 soldiers and a police officer. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to testimonies collected by SOS Médias Burundi, the attack took place around 8:30 p.m., marked by echoes of shootings and explosions which woke up residents.

Shocked residents requested military reinforcements to secure their locality, expressing their dismay at the late intervention of emergency services. A resident injured in both legs laments, “We thought they were soldiers because they were wearing the uniform of the Burundian army. We realized that they were assailants when they attacked the police post at the border. Many people here were injured trying to escape.”

The Burundian government reports the death of 12 children among the victims, including 5 under the age of five, as well as three women, two of whom are pregnant. Authorities also mention that the area remains unstable, confirming Red Tabara’s claim of the attack.

According to an anonymous security source, the attack caused 27 victims, including 20 civilians, 4 police officers and 3 soldiers responsible for border security. The security forces’ weapons were reportedly taken away during the assault. The death toll rose to 16 seriously injured people, including 2 police officers and 3 soldiers, evacuated to various health facilities in Bujumbura, the commercial city.

Despite these tragic events, the Burundian authorities recognize only one police officer killed. President Évariste Ndayishimiye had warned, on the day of the attack, the armed forces to remain vigilant, stressing that “the enemy never sleeps even if we have security.”

Red Tabara, described as a terrorist movement by the Burundian authorities, has been the subject of a Burundian military operation in South Kivu since August 2022, as part of a bilateral agreement with the DRC.

This attack, which occurred in Gatumba, is the deadliest since the early accession to power of President Neva in June 2020. The border areas with the DRC remain threatened by insecurity, as evidenced by other recent attacks in Gihanga, Bubanza , where at least three people were killed in three months. Red Tabara claimed responsibility for an attack at the beginning of last September. In May 2018, another attack attributed to this group cost the lives of 28 civilians in the locality of Ruhagarika, Cibitoke province, echoing the persistence of security challenges in these border regions with Congo.