When prayer turns to tragedy : an Imbonerakure sentenced to 20 years in jail for a “ritual” murder

SOS Médias Burundi

Bubanza, February 26, 2026 – Vianney Nkunzimana has been sentenced to 20 years of penal servitude by the Bubanza court. This young Imbonerakure, a member of the CNDD-FDD youth league, residing in the Ruvumvu neighborhood of Bubanza district, Bujumbura province, in western Burundi, was found guilty of murdering a man in his fifties accused of witchcraft. The case was tried in summary proceedings on February 18, 2026.

The crime dates back to February 17, 2026. Vianney Nkunzimana admitted to killing Emmanuel Minani with a machete, whom he accused of being a sorcerer. According to local sources, the young man, a father of one and a recent convert to a Protestant church in Bujumbura, had taken the victim into his home.

Emmanuel Minani, originally from Ngozi in the north of the country, had no family or relatives in Bubanza. Suffering from a foot injury, without shelter or resources, he survived by doing odd jobs in the crop fields before his illness weakened him further. Vianney Nkunzimana had taken him in, providing him with food and shelter.

On the morning of the tragedy, the two men traveled to Bujumbura to participate in healing prayers. According to neighbors, upon their return, Vianney Nkunzimana claimed to have received permission to pray specifically for his guest. He was reportedly given a jerrycan of water, presented as blessed by a pastor from his church, for this purpose.

Around 9 p.m., Vianney Nkunzimana allegedly woke Emmanuel Minani for a nighttime prayer session. It was at this moment that he fatally attacked him with a machete, claiming he was a sorcerer. The crime, which deeply shocked the neighborhood, is being described by several residents as a “ritual murder.”

Arrested and detained, Vianney Nkunzimana pleaded guilty in court. The court sentenced him to 20 years of penal servitude. As no civil party was brought to court, no compensation was awarded.

This case reignites the debate surrounding accusations of witchcraft, sometimes made in the context of so-called deliverance prayers, and their terrible consequences in certain communities. The elderly are among the most frequently targeted.

A league regularly accused

The Imbonerakure are the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, a former Hutu rebel group that has been in power since 2005 following the Arusha Agreement of August 2000. They are frequently cited in reports by human rights organizations for acts of intimidation, violence, and abuse against real or perceived opponents.

Often called upon by the authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye, they participate in certain operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, border surveillance, and nighttime patrols in neighborhoods and in villages.

The Iteka League, which now operates from exile, speaks of persistent impunity. In its annual report published in January, the CNDD-FDD attributed the involvement of the Imbonerakure in 110 of more than 400 deaths that occurred in 2025.

The CNDD-FDD, for its part, presents its youth league as a pillar of community development and national security and accuses its detractors of trying to tarnish the country’s image.

As a reminder, in 2015, the United Nations classified the Imbonerakure as a militia, linking them to the violence associated with President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial third term.

An open endorsement from the Head of State

In August 2023, Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly praised their role during a national day dedicated to the league.

“Burundi is protected because we have the Imbonerakure. Anyone who doesn’t believe that should come and violate our borders.” “He will be disillusioned,” the head of state said, also calling for increased night patrols and denouncing criticism he believes has been orchestrated by the West since the 2015 crisis.