Bubanza : three inmates escape from prison before being recaptured during the night

SOS Médias Burundi

Bubanza, May 11, 2025 – A nighttime escape briefly disrupted security around the Bubanza central prison (western Burundi). Three men charged with robbery attempted to escape during the night of May 9-10, before being quickly recaptured by law enforcement. An investigation is underway to clarify circumstances of this escape.

Unusual tension prevailed around Bubanza prison during the night of Friday, May 9, to Saturday, May 10. Three inmates, all charged with robbery, managed to escape shortly after 7:00 PM. Gunshots rang out shortly after their escape, according to several witnesses living near the prison.

“The shots came from inside the prison. We realized something serious was happening,” said a local resident, who requested anonymity.

The three escapees are from different locations : one is from Musenyi, in Mpanda district, another from Musigati, and the third from Ngozi province (north). Prison authorities claim that a swift operation led to their recovery and return to the prison a few hours later.

“They were recaptured thanks to coordination between the police, the prison administration, and the local population,” a prison official, who requested anonymity, told SOS Médias Burundi.

The administration indicates that the three men will now face additional charges for attempted escape. An internal investigation has been launched to determine whether this escape may have benefited from internal or external complicity.

This escape highlights, once again, the persistent challenges facing the Burundian prison system.

Concerning detention conditions

Burundian prisons suffer from chronic overcrowding. In 2023, there were more than 13,600 inmates, with an official hosting capacity of just 4,300, representing an occupancy rate of over 315%. Faced with this situation, authorities released more than 5,400 inmates in November 2024 as part of a presidential decree aimed at relieving overcrowding in prisons.

But beyond the figures, detention conditions are regularly denounced by human rights organizations. Prisoners lack food, access to healthcare, and hygiene. Many detainees languish in prolonged pretrial detention without trial.

“We must assess not only security flaws, but also the conditions that can push detainees to risk everything,” insisted a Burundian activist contacted by our editorial staff.

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A sign at the entrance to the Bubanza central prison