Gitega : a teacher lured by a fake phone call falls into a deadly grenade trap

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, June 15, 2026 — A teacher at Notre-Dame d’Espérance School, a school under contract with the Emmanuel Community of the Good Shepherd Parish of Shatanya, succumbed to his injuries after being the victim of a grenade attack on Sunday night in the Nyabiharage neighborhood of Gitega, the political capital of Burundi.

According to a witness, the incident occurred around 2:15 a.m. on the night of June 14, 2026. The victim, Léonce Ndayumvire, reportedly received a phone call informing him that someone was coming to deliver a letter. He then left his home and opened the door to speak with the visitors.

According to the same source, a grenade was thrown at him shortly after this exchange. The attack took place in the Nyabiharage neighborhood.

The information was confirmed by Bonaventure Ntakarutimana, one of the local elected officials for the neighborhood. According to him, the victim was seriously injured in the arm and head during the explosion.

Rushed to the Gitega Regional Hospital for intensive care, Léonce Ndayumvire ultimately succumbed to his injuries on Monday, June 15, 2026, the local official stated.

The exact circumstances and motives for this attack remain unknown at this stage. Local authorities indicate that an investigation has been opened to identify the perpetrators of this murder.

So far, no suspects have been arrested. In the face of this tragedy, residents of the Nyabiharage neighborhood are demanding thorough and independent investigations so that those responsible can be identified and brought to justice.

The investigation is continuing to shed light on this attack, which claimed the life of a teacher described as well-liked by his school community.

The province of Gitega is regularly cited by human rights organizations as one of the areas affected by deadly violence in the small East African nation.

Last week, the Catholic bishops of Burundi also expressed their concern about the escalating violence, calling on the authorities to strengthen security and the protection of civilians.