Giharo: three bodies discovered in just two days

The three bodies of the men were discovered in Muhafu village alone. It is in the Muzye zone in the district of Giharo, province of Rutana (southeastern Burundi). A body was buried on the orders of the local administration. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The first body was seen by passers-by south of the Muzye-Giharo road on Tuesday May 7, very close to a mini-oil mill. It was in the morning. Witnesses say the victim had signs of torture.

“This unidentified man also had injuries on his head,” say eyewitnesses to the macabre discovery.

Local sources believe he was killed elsewhere before his body was dumped there. Administration and police officials ordered his evacuation to the Gihofi district hospital.

The second body was found by residents also the next day, not far from the river Muyovozi, very close to the border with Tanzania. Residents believe that the deceased drowned in this river. At the time of his burial on Wednesday afternoon, on the orders of the local administration, another body was seen floating on the waters of the river Muyovozi.

Local administration representatives opposed his being fished out, citing lack of disinfectant as the reason.

The district of Giharo has become one of the deadliest in Burundi in recent months.

Our editorial staff was not able to verify whether the third body was eventually recovered or not.

Sources not yet verified by SOS Médias Burundi say that the three men found dead are believed to be activists of the opposition CNL party who were caught by local administration officials in collaboration with the Imbonerakure (members of the CNDD-FDD youth league) before reaching the Tanzanian soil. Many of them have been using the area to take refuge in Tanzania recently, we learn.

From the local administration side, it is still radio silence.