Nakivale (Uganda) : a refugee died in a fire

An arson attack broke out in the village of “New Hope.” A child from a Burundian refugee family died in the fire. The police say they have launched an investigation. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

It was around 10 p.m. on Friday night when a house caught fire in the village called “New Hope” in the “Base camp” area. A child of at least seven years of age died on the spot.

“Three children were sleeping in the same room waiting for their mother to come home. And suddenly, the house caught fire. They tried to escape, in vain. One of them did not survive,” says a neighbor who was among the first residents of the camp to arrive at the scene of the fire. He says the other two children were seriously injured.

“The room burned and everything in it was also consumed…”, he adds.

Neighbors were unable to intervene in time, as was the mother of the children who had gone to find food for the family.

Don Ishimwe’s body, “completely charred”, was placed in a morgue in the camp.

The police and the administration suspect arson.

“Two days before, the victim’s mother had alerted her friends that she had received threats and that people, suspects not yet identified, were circulating around her home”, reassure neighbors. The police had been informed of the facts.

The police have therefore begun investigations to confirm or deny their first theory.

This is not the first time that such a “criminal” incident has occurred in this village. About two months ago, a household of a Pastor of a Protestant church was attacked by unknown persons who burned down his house. Had it not been for the intervention of the neighbors, the tragedy would have occurred according to sources on site.

Refugees ask the police and the administration to remain vigilant and discourage this type of crime which is becoming more and more worrying.

The Nakivale camp hosts more than 140,000 refugees from various nationalities, including more than 33,000 Burundians.