Nduta (Tanzania) : a Burundian refugee killed

A man in his thirties was found dead outside the camp in the Tanga region in far northeast Tanzania where he was doing his carpentry activities. His family is calling for investigations. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Julien Nijimbere was originally from the Ruyigi province in eastern Burundi. His wife and children live in the Nduta camp in zone 6. They were informed of the bad news on Monday.

According to our sources, the victim died from blows inflicted on him by persons who have not yet been identified.

“He was with his three colleagues who do the same carpentry work in a reserve in the Tanga region. As they were heading to the urban center, they came across a group of criminals who beat them up seriously. He died on the spot. His colleagues, who were dying, were rescued by passers-by,” say Burundians who spoke to the victim’s wife.

The victim’s body has not yet been repatriated to the Nduta camp while his family and neighbors believe that he should be buried alongside his family. The latter also demand investigations to identify and punish perpetrators of this crime.

According to the survivors’ testimonies, their attackers accused them of participating in the destruction of the environment in the Tanga natural reserves. The allegations are however rejected by these survivors because they are doing legal activities known to the local administration.

These survivors emphasize that after introducing themselves as Burundians, “this aggravated the anger of the attackers accusing them of wanting to seize Tanzanian resources while their country is stable”.

The three Burundians were also stripped of their belongings : money and bicycles.

In Nduta, this incident is seen as adding to a long list of blunders that refugees suffer to force them to return home.

The Nduta camp administration has not yet reacted.

Ndtuta is home to more than 58,000 Burundian refugees.