Burundi official buried without autopsy amid death questions
Bruce Sebanza, an official at the Burundi Development Agency, died October 13, with family alleging torture.
Bruce Sebanza, an official at the Burundi Development Agency (ADB), died on October 13, 2026, at the institution's premises in Bujumbura. He was buried on Wednesday, October 21, without a public autopsy, prompting questions from observers. The National Independent Human Rights Commission (CNIDH) visited the ADB and requested investigations into the circumstances of his death.
At a service in Bujumbura, Sebanza's mother described his death as "barbaric torture." Relatives reported that Sebanza's body was transported to the Kamenge military hospital in a government pick-up truck on October 13. They stated the body was unclothed, wearing a soiled, bloodied singlet and underwear, with visible abrasions on his cheeks.
Witnesses reported hearing distress calls from the ADB premises during the night of October 12 to 13. A morgue worker allegedly mentioned physical marks on the body consistent with constriction, possibly by a rope. No independent medical conclusions on the cause of death have been released.
Why it mattersThe death of Bruce Sebanza, an official at the Burundi Development Agency, is being investigated due to allegations of torture and suspicious circumstances surrounding his burial without an autopsy.