A headless body discovered in Rugombo : the population demands thorough investigations

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, September 16, 2025 — The macabre discovery of a headless body in Gabiro-Ruvyagira village, in the district of Cibitoke (Bujumbura province, western Burundi), plunges the population into stupor and renews calls for rigorous investigations.

A body in a state of advanced decomposition was found early Tuesday morning in the Gabiro-Ruvyagira village, Rugombo zone, Cibitoke district. The victim, an unidentified man, was allegedly killed in a particularly gruesome manner before being abandoned in the bush.

A crime of rare cruelty

According to police sources, the body showed signs of brutal execution : the throat had been slit and the body covered with grass. Investigators believe the man must have been killed several weeks ago, given the advanced state of decomposition of the bones.

His identity remains unknown. “It is likely that criminals murdered him before abandoning him in the bush. We don’t have any concrete elements to exploit, if it’s the neck found separate from the rest of the body. It is a murder without a name,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

Restlessness and outrage in the population

This crime arouses a vivid emotion within the local population. Many residents believe this was a premeditated murder and call for serious investigations to identify the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

The administrator of the district of Cibitoke, Éloge Najeneza, confirmed the discovery and announced that the police have already opened an investigation. He also ordered that the remains of the victim be buried in accordance with procedures, pending justice seizure of the case.

The Cibitoke region, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is regularly the scene of corpse discoveries. Often, these bodies are buried in the precipitation without any serious investigation being conducted – a practice denounced by human rights organisations.