Photo of the week : a Musasa refugee representative behind bars after allegations of abuse, relatives denounce harassment

Matabaro Ntawigira, a representative of the Barundi community from the Rusizi Plain among Congolese refugees in Burundi, has been detained since July 17, 2026, in the central prison of Ngozi, in Butanyerera province, northern Burundi. His arrest, linked according to several sources to allegations of human rights violations at the Musasa camp, also located in the north of the country, hast raised questions among refugees and human rights defenders. His relatives denounce a “witch hunt” against a community leader who claims to have defended the rights of refugees.

According to several sources close to the case, authorities accuse Matabaro Ntawigira of having encouraged and assisted three refugees—Makanda Junior, Mugisha Amani, and Djuma Kashanda—in drafting a letter addressed to, among others, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA).

This letter, dated May 30, 2026, denounced alleged arbitrary detentions, acts of intimidation, violence, and other violations of fundamental rights that were said to have occurred at the Musasa camp.

Matabaro Ntawigira rejects these accusations. According to his relatives, he maintains that he never participated in drafting the letter nor encouraged its authors. He believes his arrest is the result of a conspiracy against him, citing in particular a dispute with Claudine Nsengiyumva, the administrator of the Musasa camp.

His supporters believe the legal proceedings against him are linked to his advocacy for refugee rights and his repeated denunciations of what he calls injustices within the camp.

According to sources close to the case, two of the three signatories of the letter have reportedly left the camp, while the third has also been detained.

A community representative already at the center of tensions

Beyond this case, several members of the Congolese refugee community believe that Matabaro Ntawigira’s detention is linked to his role as a community representative and his public stances.

For several months, he had been denouncing, in particular, the failure to process certain resettlement applications concerning Congolese refugees from the Barundi community of the Rusizi Plain.

According to several accounts, he had also challenged the UNHCR representative in Burundi, Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, criticizing her for not giving sufficient attention to the concerns expressed by this community.

These public statements reportedly exacerbated tensions between Matabaro Ntawigira and certain administrative officials, according to several sources close to the case.

Refugees also point out that before his arrest, he had already been transferred twice between different camps. According to these accounts, the authorities accused him of sowing discord and division among the refugees.

His supporters dispute these accusations and believe that these transfers were instead related to his role as a community representative and his repeated denunciations of the difficulties faced by refugees.

A letter denouncing arrests at the Musasa camp

The letter at the heart of this case, dated May 30, 2026, claims that several refugees were arrested and detained for several days without due process following a theft at the Musasa camp.

The signatories state that they were ultimately released due to a lack of evidence and are calling for an independent investigation into the alleged events, as well as guarantees of protection for those who report suspected violations.

While awaiting the judge’s decision, Matabaro Ntawigira remains detained in Ngozi Central Prison, in Butanyerera Province.

His case reignites the debate on the space afforded to refugee representatives to denounce the shortcomings observed in the camps without fear of reprisal.

Our photo : Matabaro Ntawigira, refugee representative from the Barundi community of the Rusizi Plain, detained in Ngozi Central Prison, northern Burundi