Twelve soldiers from the Burundian army tragically drowned last week after their military boat capsized in Lake Tanganyika.
The incident occurred on Friday, April 18, 2025, when a small rapid-response military boat operated by Burundi’s naval forces encountered rough conditions and capsized. The boat was carrying soldiers, many of whom had recently returned from combat operations in eastern DR Congo, where Burundian forces are deployed.
According to sources in Burundi, nine of the soldiers onboard had previously sustained injuries during missions in eastern Congo.
The boat sank near Ubwali Island, a location in Lake Tanganyika that hosts one of the Burundian army’s battalions.
Burundian military officials confirmed that the accident was caused by violent waves on the lake.
As of Saturday evening, no bodies had been recovered, despite continuous search efforts by the Burundian navy.
