Gitega : a mother of three found hanged, a possible murder disguised as suicide suspected

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, April 20, 2026—A woman was found dead in disturbing circumstances in Gasagara village, in the district and province of Gitega, in central Burundi.

According to a witness, the lifeless body of Marie Cishahayo, 40 years old and mother of three, was discovered hanging from a tree with a rope on Sunday, April 19, 2026. The scene initially suggested suicide.

However, according to the same source, the victim was bound before being suspended, fueling suspicions of murder disguised as suicide.

The information was confirmed by the chief of Gasagara village, Jean Berchmans Banyiyezako, who indicated that initial leads in the investigation point to family conflicts as the likely motive for the crime.

According to the same official, the victim was buried the same day, Sunday, April 19, 2026, after the official report was filed by a judicial police officer.

Also according to Jean Berchmans Banyiyezako, seven suspects, mostly members of the victim’s family, were arrested on Monday, April 20, 2026, and taken to police custody in Makebuko for questioning. They include Emmanuel Bigirimana, Régine Singirankabo, Pascal Mvuyishanga, Nicolas Bavugamenshi, Philippe and Fébronie.

This latest case comes amid a surge in violence in Gitega Province. According to the Iteka League, a human rights organization in exile since the 2015 crisis, the region regularly ranks among the areas most affected by homicides in the country.

In its first-quarter 2026 report on the human rights situation in Burundi, the same organization ranks Gitega first with 37 recorded homicides in three months, followed by Bujumbura (in the west) with 30 cases.

This situation continues to raise concerns about the persistence of violence within local communities in the small East African nation.