Nyarugusu : a Burundian refugee killed by police during a controversial operation

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Nyarugusu, April 29, 2025 – A Burundian refugee was shot dead on Tuesday in the Nyarugusu camp, Tanzania, during a violent police raid. Five other people were seriously injured and several shops were ransacked. Refugees denounce a brutal operation disguised as a fight against “illegal trade.”

According to consistent testimonies gathered on site, it all began in the morning when Tanzanian police raided Zone 10 of the camp, targeting a Burundian trader nicknamed Ntahimpera. They seized a large quantity of goods from his shop, including clothing, sugar, flour, and cosmetics.

This operation angered many refugees, who gathered to protest. Some attempted to prevent the seizure and threw stones at the police pickup truck, breaking its windows and injuring several officers. In response, the police fired tear gas before using live ammunition to disperse the crowd.

“A young man named Olivier was killed instantly. Five others were seriously injured and are currently in intensive care at Kasulu Hospital,” several refugees said. A plainclothes police officer was also attacked by the protesters.

Heavy-handed reprisals followed. The police raided several houses, breaking down doors, pots, and personal belongings, according to refugees. “They poured water, mixed flour with sand, and burned clothes.” “It was pure revenge,” described a resident of Zone 10.

Men carry a Burundian refugee shot by Tanzanian police, April 29, 2025 in Nyarugusu (SOS Médias Burundi)

Several refugees were arrested in the aftermath, accused of disturbing public order. However, the refugees themselves claim to have acted in self-defense. They accuse the police of looting disguised as a security operation.

“How can we talk about illegal trade when the camp administration collects taxes and issues permits to these traders?” wondered a community leader.

This is not the first time these kinds of accusations have arisen. Last month, similar incidents were reported at Nduta camp, another site hosting Burundian refugees.

For many refugees, these repeated police operations could be part of a larger plan to gradually close Burundian refugee camps in Tanzania. This hypothesis is reinforced by the recent visit of a Burundian delegation, which urged refugees to return en masse to the country. Tanzanian authorities then promised to implement “strategies to encourage voluntary repatriation.”

But refugees in the Nyarugusu camp, known for its low repatriation registration rate, denounce what they consider a form of pressure. “This return is forced, not voluntary. We are asking the UNHCR to intervene. Otherwise, we are abandoned,” confided a refugees’ representative.

Tanzania still hosts more than 104,000 Burundian refugees, the majority of whom are in the Nyarugusu and Nduta camps, located in the Kigoma region in the northwest of the country.

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A sign indicating the Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania (SOS Médias Burundi)