Gitega : two murders in 48 hours, population in shock and anger

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, March 30, 2026 — The province of Gitega, in the heart of the small east African nation, was the scene of two murders within 48 hours, on March 27 and 28, 2026. Occurring in the districts of Bugendana and Gishubi, these tragedies have sent shockwaves through the local population, denouncing the escalating violence and demanding exemplary punishment.

The first crime occurred on the night of Friday, March 27, around 10 p.m., at the Kukarukona trading center, in Nkanda village, in the Bugendana district. According to several witnesses, an altercation broke out between a young man, identified as 28-year-old Levis Irakoze, and a female shopkeeper over a dispute of 1,000 Burundi francs following the purchase of a drink.

The situation quickly escalated. Innocent Nzeyimana, described as a member of the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, which is regularly accused by residents and human rights organizations of involvement in violence and persistent impunity, reportedly intervened and fatally stabbed the young man. The victim died at the scene. The suspect immediately fled and remains at large.

The chief of Nkanda village, Alberic Kanyarubira, confirmed the events and indicated that an investigation was underway. The victim was buried on Saturday, March 28.

Less than 24 hours later, a second tragedy struck the province. On Saturday, March 28, in Nyakanazi village in Gishubi district, a family dispute turned tragic. Ghyslaine Ishimwe, a 20-year-old eighth-grade pupil at the Ntita Primary School, reportedly argued with her cousin over a matter involving corn.

According to local sources, the young woman’s paternal uncle, Jean Bosco Ndahigeze, intervened and beat her severely. She succumbed to her injuries. Her body was taken to the morgue at the Ntita Regional Hospital.

Local elected official Cyriaque Bizimana confirmed this second tragedy. He indicated that the alleged perpetrator was arrested the same day and detained in the Gishubi police station, where an investigation is underway.

Faced with this double tragedy, anger is simmering in Nkanda and Nyakanazi villages. Residents are denouncing a disturbing normalization of violence and demanding immediate justice.

Last year, the Iteka League, a pioneering human rights organization in Burundi—forced into exile since the 2015 crisis triggered by Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial third term—had already ranked Gitega province among the areas hardest hit by deadly violence.

Since the beginning of 2026, some twenty bodies have been discovered in the province, according to a count by SOS Médias Burundi. This macabre series illustrates persistent insecurity, despite official pronouncements.

But beyond the numbers, it is above all the lack of answers that is causing outrage. Very few investigation results are made public, and the alleged perpetrators are rarely brought to justice, residents complain.

For many residents, this silence from the authorities fuels a profound sense of abandonment and reinforces the perception of impunity as something almost routine.

In Gitega, as in other provinces, these repeated crimes are no longer seen as isolated incidents, but as symptoms of a failing system. Residents warn that as long as responsibilities are not clearly established and punished, violence will continue to take root—and with it, fear and resignation.