Four hectares of banana plantation belonging to Ryezekare Simon of Gihanga commune in Bubanza province were destroyed on June 21, 2007 by the population under the order of the administrator of Gihanga, Kanjori Gordien and under the supervision of the police. His house was set to fire and a lot of goods and food were stolen. Some of the stolen goods were 49 bags of rice, a bicycle and other goods which were in the house.

According to the administration, this property belongs to the Regional Company of Development of Imbo(SRDI) as that appears in a letter of the 11th of June 2007 that the administrator addressed to Ryezekare, asking him to destroy himself the banana plantations and then give back the land to the SRDI, what Ryezekare refused, because according to him, the land belongs to him.

A few days after, under the supervision of the police, the workers of the SRDI, helped by the inhabitants of the nearby place, destroyed banana plantations, burnt down his house and plundered all his belongings which were in the house.

Some of the attackers who were arrested said that they acted under the order of the communal administrator and under the supervision of 4 police officers.

Let us mention that it is not the first time that Ryezekare becomes victim of the neighboring population attack following land conflicts. In 2005, he was seriously wounded and his son assassinated in an attack organized against his family.

D/IM/AN