The hill of Kirama, in the Mudende zone (Rumonge commune, Burunga province), is in shock after the murder of IRANKUNDA Estella, 15, a 6th grade student at Sambwe Primary School. The girl was found lifeless in a forest near her home, where she had gone to look for firewood with two other children.
🔶 The circumstances of the tragedy.
According to corroborating testimonies, IRANKUNDA Estella and two other children left their home in the morning of this Sunday 15/02/2026 to go and collect firewood in the forest located on this hill. When they arrived there, they were chased by four members of the Imbonerakure, including a certain Emmanuel, a resident of the locality.
Two of them managed to escape. Estella, on the other hand, was caught.
According to the information gathered, she was subjected to sexual violence before being killed by strangulation. His body was later discovered by residents who went looking for him after noticing his prolonged absence. Residents claim to have seen the main suspect in the vicinity shortly before the crime.
🔶 Arrest and demands for justice
Local sources indicate that Emmanuel has been arrested and detained in Rumonge, while the other suspects are believed to be on the run. The population demands:
* The immediate arrest of all accomplices
* A speedy, public and transparent trial
• Exemplary sanctions “Such an act is inhumane. We demand that all light be shed and that justice be done. »
🔶 Outrage and Call Against Impunity
The organization King Umurundi Freedom condemns this crime with the utmost firmness and expresses its solidarity with the victim’s family. It denounces the impunity that prevails in Burundi, where the majority of the Imbonerakure evade any punishment, and where the few who are arrested are quickly released, thus enabling the repetition of serious violence.
⚖ Justice for IRANKUNDA Estella