Nduta (Tanzania) : mysterious disappearance of two Burundian refugees

Two Burundian refugees from the Nduta camp have been missing for more than two weeks after leaving the camp to stock up on cattle. One of their companions, seriously injured, was able to return to the camp and gave an alarming account of a violent attack.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

It was a supply mission that turned tragic.

It all began on Saturday, March 9. Three men, who regularly traveled outside the camp to buy cattle for their meat business, left their residential area at first light. This time, a group of “cow sellers” arranged to meet them near the camp. They never returned.

The only survivor, a young man under 18 years of age, according to his neighbors, resurfaced last Sunday in a pitiful condition.

“He had injuries all over his body, he had difficulty walking, and seemed hungry,” reported witnesses who helped him return to his Zone 6 home before being hospitalized by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Organized crime?

Interrogated by the police, the young man gave a chilling account : “We were attacked by people who were supposed to sell us cattle. We had already given them all the money, but they used extreme violence. I managed to escape just in time, but given what we suffered, I doubt my companions are still alive.”

Guided by the victim, the police went to the scene of the attack, without success. Since Monday, families, neighbors, and colleagues of the missing have been scouring the area around the camp, hoping to find traces of the two men, or even their bodies.

Call for vigilance and justice

Faced with this disturbing disappearance, refugees denounce organized crime and call on the Tanzanian authorities to intensify the search.

“We want answers and justice,” insist relatives of the victims.

The Nduta camp, which hosts more than 58,000 Burundian refugees, has already been the scene of security incidents.

This case rekindles concerns about the protection of refugees and the urgent need for strengthened measures to guarantee their safety.

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One of the two Burundian refugees who have been missing since March 9, 2025, at the Nduta camp in Tanzania (SOS Médias Burundi)