Gitega : a corpse found in Gishubi, suicide rumors raised

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, April 2, 2026 — The body of a 33-year-old man was discovered at his home in Gishubi district, Gitega province. While local authorities are suggesting suicide, residents dispute this version and are calling for an independent investigation, amid a recent surge in deaths in this central province.

A 33-year-old man was found dead at his home in Bubaji village, in Gishubi district, Gitega province, in the heart of the small East African nation.

According to witnesses, the body of Étienne Nshimirimana was discovered in broad daylight on Wednesday, April 1, inside his house. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear.

Contacted, Benoît Sakubu, chief of Bubaji village, confirmed the information. He indicated that the motives for the tragedy have not yet been established, while suggesting suicide as the leading hypothesis at this stage.

According to the same source, no suspect has been arrested so far, and the police went to the scene to conduct an investigation. The victim was buried the same day.

However, several residents of Bubaji village dispute the suicide theory. They believe that Étienne Nshimirimana could have been killed elsewhere before his body was placed in his home to stage a suicide. They are calling for an independent investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to 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 compiled by SOS Médias Burundi. This macabre series illustrates persistent insecurity, despite official pronouncements.