Burundi agency director questioned over staff death
Révérien Nizigiyimana, head of the Development Agency of Burundi, was questioned by prosecutors about the death of Bruce Sebanza.
The director general of the Development Agency of Burundi (ADB), Révérien Nizigiyimana, was questioned on November 2, 2026, by the Ntahangwa prosecutor's office regarding the death of Bruce Sebanza, an agency official who died on October 13 in Bujumbura. Nizigiyimana appeared at the prosecutor's office accompanied by family members and left later that afternoon. Judicial sources have not yet released the conclusions of this hearing.
The questioning follows ongoing questions about the circumstances of Sebanza's death. One of two security guards suspected in the case has been arrested, while the other remains at large. The victim's family has raised concerns about the absence of the second guard in the ongoing proceedings. Witness accounts suggest distress calls were heard from ADB premises on the night of October 12-13.
Bruce Sebanza's death certificate, signed by the Gihosha zone chief, lists his place of death as "home," with a parenthetical clarification: "within the ADB premises." The director general is named as the declarant of the death, a detail that has also raised questions. Sebanza and Nizigiyimana had a prior conflict in 2025, leading to Sebanza's imprisonment following a complaint of signature imitation.
Why it mattersThe death of Bruce Sebanza and the subsequent questioning of the ADB director general raise concerns about the circumstances surrounding his demise and the integrity of the investigation.