Photo Credit: Twitter – @F1RSTGlobal
Six African teens – two females and four males – who represented Burundi in the inaugural FIRST Global Robotics Competition, competing alongside teams from more than 150 other countries were reported missing to D.C. police on Wednesday.
The FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition opened on Sunday with a parade of nations and closed Tuesday at around 6:30 p.m. But on the night of July 18, Canesius Bindaba, the adult mentor of Team Burundi reported that he was unable to find the group of six students on the team.
Police posted fliers of the missing teens on the department’s Twitter account, which stated the teens were last seen in the area at 5 p.m on Tuesday, around the time the final robotics matches finished.
They went missing 7/18. Have info? Call #MPD at 202-727-9099/ text 50411. Photos can be found here: https://t.co/Z9xbN2gtNp #MissingPerson pic.twitter.com/hg1bfbGwtd
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 20, 2017
They also identified the teenagers as: Richard Irakoze, 18, a black male with a dark complexion who is 5-foot-11, 140 pounds; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17, a black male with a medium complexion who is 6-foot-4, 160 pounds; Nice Munezero, 17, a black female with a dark complexion who is 5-foot-7, 140 pounds; Aristide Irambona, 18, a black male with a dark complexion who is 5-foot-6, 130 pounds; Don Ingabire, 16, a black male with a medium complexion who is 5-foot-8, 130 pounds; Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, a black female with a dark complexion who is 5-foot-3, 130 pounds.
However, two of the six teenagers have been found. They were seen leaving the US for Canada on Thursday, DC police told BuzzFeed News. The two were Ingabire and Mwamikazi. The police also indicated that the other four teens were believed to be in safe hands and that the investigation will still continue.
FIRST Global President Joe Sestak when he called the police to report the students as missing said:
Security of the students is of paramount importance to FIRST Global. FIRST Global ensures that all students get to their dormitories after the daily competition by providing safe transportation to the students staying at Trinity Washington University who are always to be under close supervision of their adult mentor and are advised not to leave the premises unaccompanied by the mentor.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Washington DC authorities at 202-727-9099.
very stupid kids. that’s how u are going to make a name for yourself in usa and canada, as run away illegal immigrants?
@artklub: I’d say they’re very smart.
They are just making it worse for themselves for the future… I feel sad for them…
You need to read the comments on New York Times. There are scarcely any comments disparaging these kids decision. Most people consider them very smart, especially the two that left for Canada, where they would likely get offered refugee status. In principle, their actions is wrong, but one can understand why they did it.
African always disgracing ourselves. Is Burundi at war? Once the Spain embassy refused giving the Nigerian U-17 Basketball team Visa for a tournament, with issues like this I wouldn’t blame them
Actually, Burundi has a hidden genocide situation that no one is talking about
LMAO everybody now running to Canada. Soon that country will join UK and US in their strong stance against immigration. Their eyes gon’ open soon.
Actually, unlike those other two countries (especially the UK), Canada needs immigrants to sustain its aging population with taxes. Read up on the rationale behind Canadian immigration policy. The country has about 12% of the population of the USA and yet is almost the same size of the US in terms of land mass. It has the space, and the economic need to encourage a certain level of immigration – primarily immigration of educated people and young people.
Are they really 16? I’m sure they had their parents support and someone on US soil helped them.