Cibitoke : new gruesome discoveries, the population demands justice

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, October 8, 2025 — Two men were found dead Tuesday morning in the villages of Ndava-Village and Ruhagarika, in the district of Bukinanyana, Bujumbura province. These discoveries add to a series of bodies recovered or found over the past several months in the neighboring region of Cibitoke, where at least thirteen bodies have been recorded since April, according to a count by SOS Médias Burundi.

The first man, identified as Roti, lived in the Ndava-Village village. According to witnesses, he had left his home the day before to sell a goat, a transaction that reportedly earned him 450,000 Burundi francs. After the sale, he allegedly had a drink in a cabaret with young Imbonerakure, members of the youth league of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party in the locality.

They then allegedly violently beat him before robbing him of his money. Seriously injured, he was reportedly taken to the local police station, which refused to admit him. The youths were then ordered to take him to the hospital, but ultimately abandoned him in the Kagunuzi River. His body was found the next morning, carried to the Rusizi River.

Three Imbonerakure, including a village chief, were arrested in Ndava in connection with this case. They were taken to police cells in Bukinanyana for investigation.

A second body discovered on the banks of the Muhira River

The same day, another man’s body was discovered on the banks of the Muhira River, his hands bound with a shirt. The unidentified victim was buried on site. Shocked residents of Ruhagarika are demanding that the perpetrators be identified and brought to justice.

A region marked by a series of corpses

These two new discoveries come in a worrying context : since April, at least thirteen male bodies have been found in several localities in the Cibitoke region, neighboring Bukinanyana. Most were buried in haste, without autopsies or identification.

Local authorities cite the need to “protect residents from the spread of diseases,” a justification the population finds unsatisfactory.

“People die, they are buried, and no one is held accountable. It’s become a worrying habit,” laments a resident of Rugombo.

Authorities promise investigations

Administration officials and the police in Bukinanyana state that they have opened thorough investigations to determine the exact circumstances of these deaths. They assure that anyone involved will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, residents of the west of the country continue to live in fear and demand an end to impunity.