Cibitoke : two new detainees killed in the SNR dungeon

Two new detainees were killed by agents of the National Intelligence Service (SNR) in the province of Cibitoke (northwest Burundi). They died on the evening of October 9. They bring to three the number of people murdered in this dungeon in less than a week. The provincial intelligence official continues to deny the crime.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The victims are young men, according to police sources. Sources close to Burundian secret services say that the two detainees died after several days of intense torture. Witnesses say that the victims died around 6 p.m.

“The two bodies were transported by the vehicle of the head of the SNR-Cibitoke on Wednesday night. They were taken to the locality of Nyamitanga (district of Buganda, same province) not far from the border with Congo, on the shore of the Rusizi River (separating the DR Congo and Burundi)”, indicate eyewitnesses.

According to a security source who testified on condition of anonymity, the representative of the National Intelligence Service in Cibitoke did not participate in their burial. The mission was entrusted to two agents of the PNB (Burundi National Police) and three Imbonerakure (members of the youth league of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party). The team had scouts in Nyamitanga and another team who were supposed to help them bury the two bodies in a hurry.

Local human rights defenders speak of a “shocking” situation. One of them compares the province of Cibitoke to “a cemetery where several innocent people are killed and buried in inhumane conditions”.

Like the first detainee who died in the same conditions on the night of October 6 to 7, the two young men were suspected of belonging to the Red-Tabara rebel movement based in South Kivu. Red-Tabara is an armed group of Burundian origin based in eastern Congo, on the Burundian government’s list of terrorist movements.

Provincial governor Carême Bizoza and the Cibitoke prosecutor say they are not aware of this situation. They ask every resident who has information about these assassinations to “approach competent authorities” or to “file a complaint”.

The representative of the National Intelligence Service in Cibitoke, Police Colonel Félix Havyarimana denies these allegations.

According to a count by SOS Médias Burundi, more than 90 corpses have already been discovered in Cibitoke province since the beginning of the year. Most of these bodies, which were buried without any investigation being conducted, were found in the districts of Rugombo and Buganda, on the coast of the Rusizi River separating Burundi and Congo. The majority have not been identified.

——-

A policeman hoists the Burundian flag in Buganda not far from the border with Congo in the area where the two corpses were transported (SOS Médias Burundi)