GITEGA, Burundi — Twenty-five students from Green Hills International College in Gitega have been suspended and detained after allegedly setting fire to the headmaster’s office and vandalizing school property in an overnight protest, authorities said Thursday.
According to Nestor Hakizimana, the school’s head of dormitories and student affairs, the incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. on October 23, 2025, when a group of students, their faces covered, allegedly poured gasoline on the headmaster’s office and set it ablaze. Several administrative offices and classrooms were also vandalized.
Hakizimana told reporters that tensions had been building for weeks. Three weeks after the school reopened, some students complained about small food portions. Although that issue was resolved, he said, students later began destroying surveillance cameras on campus, including those near both male and female dormitories.
The situation escalated as students reportedly broke into the library, stole confiscated phones, and ransacked administrative documents before turning on the principal’s office.
Following internal investigations, five male students were expelled—three accused of destroying cameras, one for using marijuana and organizing unrest, and another for possession of drugs. The expulsions prompted other students to boycott classes, demanding their reinstatement.
Hakizimana said the school had also identified five female students suspected of involvement in camera thefts. Disciplinary action was planned for October 23, but violence broke out that same night. “Classrooms were vandalized, the headmaster’s office was set on fire with gasoline, and school property including computers, staff files, furniture, and a television were completely destroyed,” he said.
Police confirmed the incident, describing it as a “hostile student strike.”
“In the night of October 22 to 23, around 1:45 a.m., students at Green Hills International College in Gitega carried out a strike during which they destroyed property,” said Pierre Nkurikiye, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior.
“All computer equipment in the headmaster’s office was burned, the entire central surveillance system was damaged, windows were broken, and items from the canteen were stolen. The cause of the unrest appears to be the newly installed surveillance cameras, which students reportedly disliked. After our assessment, 25 students were taken into custody for further investigation.”
Hakizimana believes the motive behind the fire was to erase evidence of misconduct by students under investigation.
Green Hills International College, located in the Musave neighborhood of Gitega Province, is a private boarding school known for its strong academic performance and disciplinary standards. The incident has raised concerns among education officials about growing indiscipline in some Burundian schools.
