5 militiamen killed over a dead hippopotamus carcass in Bukinanyana, Burundi

A hippopotamus shot along the Rusizi River on the Burundi–Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) border triggered an armed clash between Burundian soldiers and Congolese Wazalendo militiamen, leaving five militiamen dead and three civilians wounded, local authorities reported.

The incident unfolded over Thursday and Friday in the Ndava zone of Bukinanyana district, Bujumbura province, in northwestern Burundi. According to local sources, Wazalendo fighters first fired on a hippopotamus on the far side of the Rusizi River on Thursday. The animal was killed on Friday morning near Nyamitanga’s fourth avenue.

When the militiamen tried to retrieve the carcass, Burundian soldiers blocked them, sparking an exchange of gunfire. One civilian was wounded on Thursday and two more around 5 a.m. on Friday while working in their fields in Nyamitanga village; they were hit by stray bullets. Local authorities put the Wazalendo death toll at five, though independent confirmation was still pending. No information was available on casualties among Burundian forces.

The gunfire disrupted the Nyamitanga market, a key commercial hub a few kilometers from the river that also serves as a point for fuel supplies from the DRC. Farmers from Zina and nearby areas fled, abandoning their produce, while residents reported hearing shots even inside their homes.

The disputed hippopotamus was finally slaughtered on Saturday morning with official authorization.

Wazalendo are armed self-defense groups active in eastern DRC and supported by Kinshasa. They operate alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) against the AFC-M23 coalition. In some areas they have taken on larger security roles, though human rights groups have accused them of serious abuses against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, and looting.

Tension remained high across the Rusizi after the clashes, with both sides wary of each other. Ndava authorities urged residents of Nyamitanga to stay vigilant, avoid exposed areas, and take precautions in case of further shooting.