Burunga : the body of a teenage girl found in disturbing circumstances in Mahwa

SOS Médias Burundi

Burunga, September 23, 2025 – A teenage girl of approximately 15 years of age was found dead on Saturday, September 20, along National Road 16, in the Nyamuswaga valley, in Mahwa village, Matana district, Burunga province, in southern Burundi. While local authorities are denouncing an accident, several residents denounce it as a set-up and suspect murder.

According to a witness, the victim’s body showed visible injuries, particularly on the head. Her identity has not yet been established.

The Mahwa village chief, Cassien Ngendakumana, claims that the young girl was hit by an unidentified vehicle and that she suffered from a mental illness. However, some residents reject this version. According to them, the teenager was beaten to death with clubs before her body was left on the road to make it look like an accident.

The body was buried the next day, Sunday, September 21, directly on the scene, without waiting for the victim’s relatives to arrive and without an independent investigation being launched.

This discovery comes just one week after that of 39-year-old Éric Bigirimana, found hanged on September 14 in Ntunda village, in Gishubi district, in the neighboring province of Gitega, about ten kilometers from Mahwa. Two tragedies occurring in quick succession are fueling concern in the region.