Where is NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède?
King Umurundi Freedom organization raises the alarm over the enforced disappearance of NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède, a 68-year-old Burundian citizen residing in Kamesa Quarter, Mugere Commune, Bujumbura Province.
Married and a father of eight, NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède is a former member of the national armed forces. In 2010, he was dismissed from the military after being accused of belonging to the MSD political party. According to information gathered by King Umurundi Freedom, he was reportedly accused at the time of participating in political training activities linked to the MSD. Since leaving the military, he had been engaged in personal activities to support his family.
Circumstances of his disappearance
On Saturday, 29 August 2026, at around 11:00 a.m., NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède left his home and went to Mwikora, where he was expected to wait for a vehicle to Musaga, in order to visit his parents, who normally reside there.
At around 12:00 noon, while he was standing in Mwikora with other citizens waiting for a vehicle, a white Premium-type vehicle with tinted windows, registration number L 8795 A, reportedly arrived at the scene.
According to testimonies gathered by King Umurundi Freedom, two police officers reportedly got out of the vehicle, while other individuals remained inside. They allegedly apprehended NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède and forcibly put him into the vehicle, which then drove towards central Bujumbura.
Witnesses present at the scene reported that the 68-year-old man was forcibly taken away by the agents.
Information gathered further indicates that the vehicle was reportedly regularly used by the head of intelligence in Mugere Commune, NDAYISABA Célestin, who was himself reportedly inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Where is NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède today?
Since his apprehension, members of his family have searched for him through various services, including at the headquarters of the intelligence services, but have been unable to obtain reliable information about his whereabouts or place of detention.
According to his family, the intelligence services they contacted denied being responsible for his arrest.
To date, there is no official information establishing where NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède is being held, the circumstances of his detention, or the reasons for his apprehension.
This situation raises serious concerns about his safety, physical integrity and fundamental rights.
King Umurundi Freedom calls on the competent authorities to shed full light on this disappearance, establish the whereabouts of NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède, and ensure that he is protected from any form of torture, ill-treatment or enforced disappearance.
We also call on the National Independent Commission for Human Rights (CNIDH) to conduct, without delay, an independent investigation into this case.
The head of intelligence in Mugere Commune, NDAYISABA Célestin, should in particular be questioned in order to clarify the circumstances surrounding the apprehension of NGENDAHONANKWA Diomède and establish where he was taken.