Burundi Court: 5 Men Sentenced to Life for Murder in Bugendana

Bugendana, August 13, 2026 — Five men were sentenced Wednesday to life imprisonment for the murder of 60-year-old Longin Nahimana, who was killed by having his throat slit on the night of August 7 in Carire village, in the district of Bugendana, Gitega province, in central Burundi. Two women prosecuted for complicity received six-month prison sentences and fines of 50,000 Burundian francs each. The Bugendana First Instance Court delivered its verdict on Wednesday, August 12, in this case, which led to the prosecution of seven people. Oscar Nshimirimana, Édouard Ntakarutimana, Daniel Sindakira, Salvator Bigirimana, and Cyriaque Twagirayezu were prosecuted by the public prosecutor for murder. The incident dates back to the night of August 7, 2026, in Carire village, in the Bugendana district. According to the evidence presented in court, 60-year-old Longin Nahimana was killed by having his throat slit. They claimed they wanted to silence someone who opposed their thefts. In court, the five men admitted to the crime. They explained that the victim regularly prevented them from stealing from households in Carire village. The public prosecutor charged them with murder and requested life imprisonment for each of them. The five defendants did not respond to the requested sentences. Two women accused of concealing evidence Menedore Niyokwizera and Rose Hakizimana were prosecuted for complicity. According to the prosecution, shortly after the murder, the two women hid blood-soaked clothing belonging to the alleged perpetrators, thus contributing to the concealment of evidence. They also confessed to the crime in court. The prosecution had requested six months in prison for each of them. Life imprisonment for the five men After deliberation, the Bugendana First Instance Court followed the prosecutions recommendations regarding the five main defendants. Oscar Nshimirimana, Édouard Ntakarutimana, Daniel Sindakira, Salvator Bigirimana, and Cyriaque Twagirayezu were each sentenced to life imprisonment. The court also ordered them to pay 10 million Burundian francs each in compensation. Menedore Niyokwizera and Rose Hakizimana were each sentenced to six months in prison and fined 50,000 Burundian francs. A dozen deaths in less than two weeks in Gitega Since July 26, a dozen people have been killed or found dead in this province in the center of the small East African nation, which also includes Gitega, the political capital. Gitega regularly appears among the provinces of Burundi where cases of assassinations, disappearances, and the discovery of bodies are reported. The Iteka League, a pioneering human rights organization in Burundi, forced to work from exile since the crisis triggered by the controversial third term of the late President Pierre Nkurunziza in 2015, recently ranked Gitega among the provinces most affected by human rights violations. The cases of murders and the discovery of bodies have also raised concerns among the Catholic bishops of Burundi, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Fortuné Gaëtan Zongo. President Évariste Ndayishimiye recently lashed out at the Catholic bishops, accusing them of holding positions critical of the government after their calls for more action to address the countrys security and social problems. Faced with this series of deaths, residents are demanding credible and independent investigations to establish the exact circumstances of each case and to prosecute those responsible.