boy killed by stray bullet near Burundi military range
A 13-year-old Congolese refugee died and another was injured by an exploding bullet while cooking maize at a transit center.
A 13-year-old boy from a Congolese refugee family died Saturday from an exploding bullet near a military firing range in Cishemere, Bujumbura province. The boy was killed while preparing to grill maize at the Cishemere transit center when a bullet ignited from the heat of the fire. Another child was injured in the incident, raising new safety concerns for asylum seekers at the site.
Witnesses reported the children were gathered around a fire when the abandoned bullet exploded. The victim, originally from Luvungi in eastern Congo's South Kivu region, died at the scene. The injured child received medical attention. The Cishemere transit center houses Congolese asylum seekers awaiting transfer to refugee camps, and its proximity to the military range worries residents about unexploded ordnance.
A refugee at the center, who asked to remain anonymous, urged Burundian authorities to secure the area and protect asylum seekers. Humanitarian sources indicate that some asylum seekers from Cishemere and Makombe are expected to be transferred to Busuma, raising concerns about their reception conditions given the risks refugees face at reception sites.
Why it mattersCongolese refugees in Burundi are at risk of death from unexploded ordnance near military sites.