Death of Bruce Sebanza at the ADB : the director general questioned by the Ntahangwa prosecutor’s office

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, November 3, 2026 — The director general of the Burundi Development Agency (ADB), Révérien Nizigiyimana, was questioned on Monday, November 2, by the Ntahangwa Prosecutor’s Office as part of the investigation into the death of Bruce Sebanza, an official of the agency, who died on October 13 at the institution’s premises, north of Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital.

On assignment in China at the time of his summons, Révérien Nizigiyimana appeared at the prosecutor’s office on Monday morning, accompanied by his mother and other family members. He left around 4:00 p.m. According to judicial sources, the conclusions of this hearing are not yet known.

The hearing comes as the circumstances surrounding Bruce Sebanza’s death continue to raise numerous questions. According to sources close to the case, one of the two security guards suspected in the case has been arrested, while the second is on the run. The deceased’s family is particularly concerned about the absence of this second guard from the proceedings initiated in the case.

On the night of October 12-13, cries for help were heard at the ADB offices, according to testimonies gathered by SOS Médias Burundi. The director general reportedly arrived at the scene around 5:00 a.m., while two security guards were already holding Bruce Sebanza.

Around 7:30 a.m., Révérien Nizigiyimana allegedly contacted an official from the National Intelligence Service (SNR). This official reportedly came to retrieve Bruce Sebanza and brought him back to the agency’s offices approximately an hour and a half later. The circumstances of this intervention and the events leading to the official’s death remain to be clarified by the justice system.

Read also : Burundi : Bruce Sebanza’s death at the ADB raises questions about the role of those present

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A document signed by Astère Ndayikeje, head of the Gihosha zone, indicates that Bruce Sebanza died “at home,” with a parenthetical clarification : “on the ADB premises.” The agency’s director general is named as the person who reported the death. The manner in which this certificate was drawn up also raises questions.

Read also : Burundi : Bruce Sebanza dies at the ADB, its director general named as the person who reported a death disguised as a death at home

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This is not the first time that Bruce Sebanza and the director general of the ADB have found themselves at the center of a dispute. In 2025, the official was imprisoned following a complaint of signature forgery filed in a dispute with Révérien Nizigiyimana. He was subsequently released on bail. During his detention, his contract was terminated, according to information previously reported by SOS Médias Burundi.

The National Independent Human Rights Commission (CNIDH) took up the case on October 16 and visited the ADB offices. Its president, Bishop Martin Blaise Nyaboho, stated that the circumstances of the death needed to be clarified. He assured that the commission would follow the case until justice was served.

Bruce Sebanza was buried on Wednesday, October 21, without an autopsy being publicly announced. At the funeral, his mother denounced what she called “barbaric torture” and demanded that the full truth be revealed about the circumstances of her son’s death.

The investigation will notably have to establish the role of each person present at the ADB premises at the time of the events. Bruce Sebanza’s family expects justice to shed full light on this death and for those responsible to be held accountable.

This case is taking place against a backdrop of recurring accusations of impunity in Burundi. Human rights defenders regularly denounce the lack of independent investigations and prosecutions in human rights violations. They believe that the absence of sanctions against alleged perpetrators encourages the repetition of such acts.

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Révérien Nizigiyimana, Director General of the Burundi Development Agency (ADB), implicated in testimonies regarding the circumstances of Bruce Sebanza’s death (DR/SOS Médias Burundi)