Three bodies in an advanced state of decomposition were discovered this Wednesday on the 7th crossroads of Kaburantwa hill, in the commune of Buganda, Cibitoke province in northwestern Burundi. The victims, young men wearing masks, were allegedly executed by armed youth affiliated with the presidential party, the CNDD-FDD, according to local sources.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

This Wednesday morning, three bodies in full decomposition were found by farmers going to the fields, on the 7th crossroads, near the Rusizi River, separating Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The bodies, all men, were covered with masks, which complicated their identification. According to information gathered on site, access to the site was prohibited to passers-by by local authorities. A security source stated that on the orders of the administrator of Buganda and the communal police commissioner, the Imbonerakure, members of the CNDD-FDD youth league, were tasked with burying the three young men less than 100 meters from the Rusizi.

Identity of the victims

The victims, probably Burundians fleeing the clashes between the M23 and the FARDC, the Congolese army, and their allies including local militias backed by the Congolese authorities and the FDNB (Burundi National Defense Force) as well as the Imbonerakure, are believed to have fallen into the clutches of an armed group suspected of belonging to the Imbonerakure, the youth affiliated with the presidential party. According to sources close to the case, after crossing the Rusizi River, the three young men were captured and summarily executed. The discovery of the bodies has caused great concern among the inhabitants of the region, who are living in an atmosphere of intense fear. Local and security authorities have not yet commented on the incident, and the identity of the victims remains unclear. Rumors are circulating, but no official information has been released.

In addition, the presence of armed Imbonerakure, particularly at night, in localities near the Rusizi River, continues to raise concerns among the population of Cibitoke, bordering South Kivu in eastern Congo where the M23 rebels have recently extended their zone of control.

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A reception site for new Congolese refugees in Cibitoke province in northwestern Burundi, bordering Congo, February 2025 (SOS Médias Burundi)​