SOS Médias Burundi

Bururi, May 9, 2025 – The First Instance Court of Bururi in southern Burundi sentenced Méchac Minani, a local Imbonerakure leader, on Tuesday afternoon to two years and six months of penal servitude for assault and battery resulting in the death of his half-brother, Libère Ndayiragije. This judgment has sparked strong reactions among the local population.

The tragedy occurred on April 24 in the town of Rushemeza, in the district and province of Bururi (southern Burundi), during a land dispute between the two men. Méchac Minani allegedly violently attacked his half-brother while the latter was trying to prevent him from cutting down a tree on a disputed land. Witnesses claimed that the victim was beaten up before being strangled.

Although the prosecution requested twenty years’ imprisonment, the Court handed down a much more lenient sentence. In addition to the prison sentence, Méchac Minani was ordered to pay compensation of ten million Burundi francs to the deceased’s widow. Failure to pay would result in imprisonment for fifty years.

Two sisters were also prosecuted. One was convicted of failing to assist a person in danger and must pay two million francs to the widow, while the other was acquitted.

The case has raised serious concerns in Kavumvu, where Méchac Minani is identified as a leader of the Imbonerakure, the youth league affiliated with the ruling CNDD-FDD party. Many residents fear that this political affiliation influenced the lenient verdict.

« We expected a harsher sentence. » « What he did was a murder, » an outraged resident complained.

The victim’s family did not hide their disappointment. « Two and a half years for killing a man is a slap in the face of our pain, » declared a relative of Libère Ndayiragije. The widow’s lawyer indicated that he plans to appeal the verdict, which he considers « clearly lenient given the gravity of the facts. »

The district administrator, Félix Niyongabo, had assured that justice would take its course and called on the population to remain calm. But the verdict reinforces the distrust of some citizens towards the independence of the judiciary in cases involving figures close to power.

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The town center of the district of Bururi in southern Burundi (SOS Médias Burundi)