Government to probe Minister's death...

A Burundian minister has died in what the government described on Thursday as a car accident, though sources said the circumstances remained unclear and would be investigated.

The body of Gabby Bugaga was found in a four-wheel-drive vehicle by farmers near a poorly maintained road in Kivoga, about 10 kilometres north of the economic capital, Bujumbura.

Images shared on social media showed the minister slumped in the driver’s seat of the damaged vehicle, which had veered off the road.

In a statement, government spokesman Jerome Niyonzima said the government “deeply regrets” the death of the Minister of Communication and Media, adding it occurred at dawn on April 16, 2026, following an accident.

He provided no further details.

A police source confirmed the body was that of Bugaga but said the cause of death had not yet been determined.

The source noted the minister had sustained a severe head injury, while the right side and rear of the vehicle were heavily damaged, raising questions about the circumstances of the crash.

“The death of the Minister of Communication has many unanswered questions,” the source said, pointing to the apparent lack of frontal impact on the vehicle.

Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an investigation was under way to establish the cause of death.

Senior officials, including Interior Minister Leonidas Ndaruzaniye and Justice Minister Alfred Ahingejeje, were present at the scene on Thursday morning, according to sources.

Bugaga, a former journalist with the national broadcaster, had worked in communications roles across several institutions before his appointment to government.