Mbuye : the Imbonerakure act with impunity

SOS Médias Burundi

Muramvya, May 21, 2025 – A 49-year-old agricultural instructor was horrifically murdered in Mbuye, Muramvya Province (central Burundi). Suspected members of the Imbonerakure are accused of kidnapping, mutilating, and killing the victim. Despite the seriousness of the incident, no arrests have been made, fueling a widespread sense of impunity.

A crime of rare cruelty shook the district of Mbuye, in Muramvya Province (central Burundi), where Oscar Ndayisaba, a father of five and agricultural instructor, was found dead after being kidnapped and brutally mutilated. Local sources accuse members of the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling party, of committing the act.

According to an eyewitness, the crime took place on May 6, 2025, at the Mabuga trading center in Taba village. Four Imbonerakure, led by a certain Jados Niyonkuru, allegedly apprehended Mr. Ndayisaba before taking him to a bush near the Mubarazi River. There, the victim was allegedly violently beaten and then had his throat slit, according to the witness, “like an animal.”

According to the same sources, the executioners then amputated the victim’s head and genitals. This atrocious crime was allegedly committed under the pretext of witchcraft accusations—a justification frequently used to settle personal or political disputes.

Salomon Nduwimana, chief of Taba village, confirmed the assassination and stated that Oscar Ndayisaba’s lifeless body was taken to Gasura Hospital before being buried on May 7. To date, the victim’s head and genitals remain missing.

Contacted about this, Évelyne Ndayisasire, district administrator of Mbuye, stated that the police have opened an investigation. However, no suspects have yet been arrested, reinforcing the sense of impunity denounced by the deceased’s relatives. They accuse local authorities of passive complicity and demand justice.

The Imbonerakure are regularly cited in cases of violence, intimidation, and abuses, often with complete impunity. Several reports from local and international organizations highlight their role in acts of torture, arbitrary arrests, and harassment of opposition members or citizens critical of the regime. Despite these reports, legal proceedings are rarely initiated.

This tragedy therefore rekindles concerns about the uncontrolled actions of this “political militia” and the inaction of the institutions supposed to protect citizens. For the residents of Mbuye, this is yet another example of a system where fear reigns supreme and justice often rhymes only with silence.

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Imbonerakure in a military parade on the sidelines of the celebration of the 8th edition of the day dedicated to them, on August 31, 2024, in Bujumbura (SOS Médias Burundi)