Gitega province under tension : two more bodies found, around fifteen victims since October

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, November 17, 2025 — Gitega province has been struck by a disturbing series of macabre events. At the end of the weekend, two young men were found dead in the Masenga and Zege neighborhoods of Gitega, the political capital of Burundi. These discoveries bring the number of bodies found in the province since last October to around fifteen, according to our count. This series of deaths is causing fear among residents and calls for thorough investigations into the causes and perpetrators of these crimes.

Masenga : Isaac Nahimana found in a house under construction

The first body, that of 27-year-old Isaac Nahimana, was discovered on Sunday, November 16, in a house under construction in the Masenga neighborhood. According to Sylvestre Niyonkuru, the neighborhood chief, a rope was found near the body.

While the motive remains unknown, the neighborhood chief raised the possibility of suicide. However, some residents reject this hypothesis, claiming the victim could have been killed and left at the scene to simulate a suicide, and are demanding independent investigations and that the perpetrators be brought to justice. The body was transported to the morgue at the Gitega Regional Hospital.

Zege : another body discovered in Gitega

On Monday morning, November 17, a second body was found in a ditch in the Zege neighborhood, located in Gitega, the political capital of Burundi. The victim, a young man of about 21 years of age, has not yet been identified. Jacques Hakizimana, the Zege neighborhood chief, indicated that the perpetrators and motives for the murder remain unknown. No suspects have been arrested, and the body was transferred to the morgue at the Gitega Regional Hospital.

A disturbing series of events since last October

These two new discoveries come amid an alarming trend : some fifteen bodies have been found in different neighborhoods of Gitega province since last October, according to our count. This series of deaths raises numerous questions about security in the province and calls for urgent action from the authorities to protect residents and solve these crimes.