Body of Rusizi Footballer Missing in Burundi Returned to Rwanda

Authorities in Bugarama Sector, Rusizi District, have confirmed that the body of Musirikare Obed, a young Rwandan man who went missing in Burundi, has been returned to Rwanda for burial.

Musirikare, aged 31, was a football player for the Muganza Training Center team, which competes in Rwanda’s third division. On October 24, 2025, he reportedly drowned in the Rusizi River while attempting to cross from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to take part in a friendly football match.

His body was swept away by the current and could not be located immediately. Days later, his family learned that the body had been recovered by residents in Buganda, Burundi, and transferred to the Ubuntu Hospital morgue in Bujumbura. Burundian authorities then issued a public notice inviting anyone who might identify the deceased to come forward.

On October 27, Musirikare’s relatives, friends, and local officials from Bugarama gathered at the Ruhwa border post to receive his remains, as burial preparations had already been made. However, when the delegation was informed that the body was en route, they were later told that it had been withheld by the Burundian police, who reportedly requested additional documentation before release.

The family promptly appealed to Rusizi District authorities for assistance in securing the body’s transfer, while the Bugarama Sector administration also sent a formal request to Bujumbura Provincial officials.

Despite assurances, the handover did not take place on October 28, leaving the family in uncertainty for another day. Finally, in the early hours of October 29, 2025, the body was officially repatriated.

“The body was handed over to us at around 4:00 a.m.,” said the Executive Secretary of Bugarama Sector. “Now that we have received it, it will be buried immediately.”

Musirikare Obed is remembered not only as a talented footballer but also as an employee of the Cimerwa cement factory. His death has saddened both his teammates and the local community, who described him as a passionate sportsman and hardworking young man.