Gitega : two dead in two days, violence takes hold in the province

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, April 6, 2026 — Gitega province, in the center of the small East African nation, is shaken by a series of deadly attacks. In the space of two days, two people were killed in separate circumstances, exacerbating the sense of insecurity among residents.

Murder in Kibungere

According to a witness, Nestor Ininahazwe, 35 years old, a motorcyclist, was shot three times in a bar on the night of Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Kibungere village in Nyabihanga district. The suspected perpetrator is Osias Nikezwe, a police officer assigned to the Kibungere parish.

Ferdinand Ndorukwigira, a local elected official for the village, confirmed that the motorcyclist was shot for refusing to buy a beer for the police officer. After the murder, Osias Nikezwe was arrested and taken to the Mwaro police station, where he remains in custody. Residents are demanding that the police officer be tried immediately.

Suspected murder in Kibimba

The following day, Sunday, April 5, 2026, the body of Joachim Bizimana was found hanging inside his residence in Kibimba village, also in Gitega province. Police report that the victim, a widower living alone, was taken to Kibimba Hospital. No suspects have been apprehended, and some residents doubt the suicide theory, demanding that the truth be established.

Persistent insecurity

Last year, the Iteka League, a pioneering human rights organization in Burundi and forced into exile since the 2015 crisis, had already ranked Gitega among the areas most affected by deadly violence. Since the beginning of 2026, SOS Médias Burundi has documented nearly 30 bodies discovered in the province.

For residents, the lack of investigation results and the absence of sanctions fuel a profound sense of abandonment and impunity. These crimes, far from being isolated incidents, are evidence of a failing system where violence becomes entrenched, giving rise to fear and resignation.