A Crime of Extreme Brutality That Has Shocked the Local Population
On May 10, 2024, at around 2:00 p.m., an act of unspeakable violence was committed on Ryamukona Hill, in Kabarore Commune, Kayanza Province, a border area with the Republic of Rwanda, in the Huye region.
The victim, NSABIMANA Philippe, a 22-year-old young Burundian citizen and native of the same hill, was arrested, tortured, and killed by an Imbonerakure identified as NIYONKURU Victor, assisted by two other Imbonerakure known as Kinyinyi and Lazar.
🔶 Arbitrary arrest while the victim was heading to the market
According to several eyewitnesses, NSABIMANA Philippe was peacefully on his way to the Iviro market, a busy cross-border market that connects Burundian and Rwandan communities. He was intercepted without any valid reason, while carrying no suspicious object.
Imbonerakure NIYONKURU Victor, together with his two associates who were patrolling the area, accused him without evidence and proceeded with an arbitrary arrest.
🔶 Torture and execution of rare cruelty
Following his arrest, the young man was violently beaten by his attackers. The beatings quickly escalated into acts of torture.
Imbonerakure NIYONKURU Victor then used a sharp weapon resembling a spear or stake (Ikimito), which he forced into the victim’s left ear, piercing through and exiting via the right ear.
NSABIMANA Philippe died instantly from his injuries, in full view of horrified witnesses.
🔶 Attempt to conceal the crime: the body thrown into the Kanyaru River
After killing the victim, the perpetrators attempted to erase evidence by throwing the body into the Kanyaru River, a waterway that forms the natural border between Burundi and Rwanda.
This act deeply shocked local residents, who immediately raised the alarm.
🔶 Community intervention and arrest of the suspects
Alerted by the commotion, residents of Ryamukona Hill quickly mobilized and contacted the police.
The Imbonerakure attempted to flee but were pursued and arrested:
● NIYONKURU Victor, wearing a white T-shirt, injured to the head while fleeing;
● One of his accomplices, wearing a black T-shirt, overpowered and tied up by local residents.
Amid widespread outrage, tensions nearly escalated into mob justice. The rapid intervention of the police prevented further violence, notably through the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
🔶 Recovery of the body and transfer to the morgue
After relative calm was restored, residents retrieved NSABIMANA Philippe’s body from the Kanyaru River.
The body was then transferred to the morgue of the Ryamukona Health Center, where it awaits judicial and funeral procedures.
🔶 Persistent anger and call for justice
To this day, tensions remain extremely high on Ryamukona Hill. The population, deeply traumatized by the brutality of the crime, is demanding that the arrested Imbonerakure be tried and severely punished in accordance with the law, so that justice may be done for the victim and his family.
Our organization strongly condemns this barbaric act and demands that the Imbonerakure involved be brought to justice and severely punished, in order to put an end to the impunity that fuels such grave human rights violations.
We extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved family and pray for the eternal rest of the victim’s soul.