Burundi : OTB employee found dead in Mugamba – residents demand explanations

SOS Médias Burundi

Mugamba, April 22, 2025 – The lifeless body of a 26-year-old woman, presumed to be an employee of the Burundi Tea Office (OTB) in Tora, was discovered early Tuesday morning near the Tora market, in the district of Mugamba, in the south of the country. A local resident alerted the authorities after finding the body in a bush not far from his plot of land.

According to local and police sources, the victim had been missing since the previous day. Witnesses claim to have seen her at the time of her abduction. Upon discovery of the body, some residents observed marks suggesting a possible lightning strike, but this hypothesis remains to be confirmed.

“We did indeed find the body of a young woman this morning. An investigation is underway to establish the real cause of her death. For now, we are not ruling out any possibility,” a local administration official told SOS Médias Burundi, speaking anonymously.

The police and local administration have launched an investigation and promise to release the results as soon as the first reports are available. According to police sources, the body showed no visible injuries indicating a physical assault, which leaves open the possibility of an accident or a natural phenomenon.

On the ground, there is great consternation. Shocked residents of Tora express their concern about this unexplained death. “It’s incomprehensible. She was known here; she worked at the tea factory.” “We want to know what happened,” confided a shocked resident.

This tragedy comes amid reports of increased insecurity in certain rural areas of Bururi province. In recent weeks, cases of nighttime robberies and unexplained disappearances have been reported, although these cases remain unsolved.

The population is calling on the authorities to strengthen security, particularly in isolated areas like Tora, and demanding that full light be shed on this case.

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The town center of Mugamba in southern Burundi