Burundi sugar engineer missing, two bodies found
SOSUMO union leaders demand answers from management about the disappearance of Ismaël Mugisha.
Ismaël Mugisha, deputy head of agricultural equipment maintenance at the Moso Sugar Company (SOSUMO) in Burunga, Burundi, has been missing since October 30. His disappearance has caused significant concern within the company, prompting union leaders to request explanations from management. Two bodies have been discovered in the region within three days, though no link to Mugisha's case has been established.
Union officials sent a letter on November 3 to SOSUMO management, the industry minister, the governor of Burunga province, and security services, stating they have no reliable information on Mugisha's fate. Mugisha was last seen leaving home for work on October 30 and never arrived. The union expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of precise details regarding the search and the circumstances of his disappearance, calling it unprecedented for SOSUMO.
Searches are ongoing in the company's sugarcane plantations and along the Maragarazi and Mutsindonzi rivers, involving employees and police. The discovery of two bodies preceded these intensified searches. One body, identified as Thierry, a small trader from Gatandara, was found on November 3 in Makamba commune, reportedly decapitated and buried in a field.
Why it mattersThe disappearance of a key agricultural engineer at the state-owned sugar company and the discovery of two bodies create unease among SOSUMO employees and the local community.