DC DC - Burundi robotics team, 6 teens 16-18, Washington DC, 18 July 2017

[JerseyGirl]

Six teenagers from the Burundi robotics team, who had come to Washington to compete in an international competition, were reported missing to D.C. police on Wednesday.

The team from the small east African country had competed in the inaugural international event of the FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition, which drew hundreds of young people from 157 nations to Constitution Hall in Northwest. The event opened Sunday with a parade of nations and closed Tuesday at around 6:30 p.m.

The teens were last seen in the area 5 p.m. Tuesday, around the time the final robotics matches finished.

Police identified the missing teenagers as:

Richard Irakoze, 18, a black male with a dark complexion who is 5’11’’ 140 lbs.;
Kevin Sabumukiza, 17, a black male with a medium complexion, who is 6’4” 160 lbs.;
Nice Munezero, 17, a black female with a dark complexion 5’7” 140 lbs.;
Aristide Irambona, 18, a black male with a dark complexion 5’6” 130 lbs.;
Don Ingabire, 16, a black male with a medium complexion 5’8” 130 lbs.;
Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, a black female with a dark complexion 5’3”, 130 lbs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.4a1a15a75cdb

 

[JerseyGirl]

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/269067470-story

 

[SweetCaroline]

This is crazy. How can six people go missing at the same time? And why was there not a chaperone with them? Most of them are minors.

 

[TTF14]

This is crazy. How can six people go missing at the same time? And why was there not a chaperone with them? Most of them are minors.

Their chaperone probably didn't expect them to run off.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Competition organizers said that the team's mentor couldn't find the group of six students.

Police reports say the mentor said the teens traveled from Burundi for the competition and have one-year visas, but he doesn't know where the teens went.

Each report says police tried to contact one missing teen's uncle but got no response.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/burundi-robotics-team-missing-after-competition-in-dc/


***sounds like they may be taking refuge**** MOO! :moo:

 

[SweetCaroline]

Competition organizers said that the team's mentor couldn't find the group of six students.

Police reports say the mentor said the teens traveled from Burundi for the competition and have one-year visas, but he doesn't know where the teens went.

Each report says police tried to contact one missing teen's uncle but got no response.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/burundi-robotics-team-missing-after-competition-in-dc/


***sounds like they may be taking refuge**** MOO! :moo:

Couldn't say I'd blame them. This is what the CIA says about Burundi. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/by.html

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Man I don't know what to make of this. I guess it is too much to hope that they are in some embassy seeking asylum right now Seems like we would have heard already if that was the case.

Did I just read their visas are good for a year? Maybe a friend or family member is helping them stay somewhere here for a while with a totally innocent motive.

I just don't want to think about the scarier possibilities that they are at risk for harm or explotation, etc.

 

[jellybean96]

Yeah I am guessing they are holed up somewhere, not wanting to go home.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Burundi is a small country in East Africa bordered by Tanzania, Rwanda, and Lake Tanganyika.

The State Department issued a travel warning in late June, advising Americans of “political tensions, political and criminal violence, and the potential for civil unrest.” That warning stated that rebel forces, ex-combatants and youth gangs from the Democratic Republic of Congo had reportedly attacked and kidnapped civilians, while armed groups have ambushed vehicles.

http://www.pressherald.com/2017/07/20/six-teens-from-burundi-robotics-team-reported-missing-in-d-c/

 

[JerseyGirl]

The students were dorming at Trinity Washington University.


http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/us-canada/176235-burundi-robotics-team-members-reported-missing

 

[Irish_Eyes]

This is the pic that should be everywhere, not their passport photos. Those never look any good.

OT, but my 18 year old son got his done recently and how they made this handsome kid look so sketchy I'll never know. I told him I'm his mom and I'd think twice before letting him through customs, haha.

I think their personalities come through in this pic.

 

[adot0902]

Is their mentor the same Canesius Bindaba, that is a doctor?
This guy https://zambiareports.com/2016/09/28/nothing-lasts-forever-go-says-dr-canisius-banda-quits-upnd/

 

[adot0902]

2 teens missing spotted entering Canada...
http://www.fox5dc.com/news/269067470-story

"Two of the teenage members an African robotics team, who were all reported missing after an international competition came to an end in D.C., have reportedly been spotted crossing into Canada, D.C. Police say."

 

[adot0902]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...056e768a7e5_story.html?utm_term=.ac994618663a

"Two of the six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team who went missing from Washington this week have crossed into Canada and are safe, D.C. police said on Thursday."

"The four others also are believed to be in safe hands, but authorities declined to provide further details. It is the first indication that the teenagers may have left on their own accord."

 

[JerseyGirl]

Two of the six teenages crossed into Canada and are safe, they are Don Charu Ingabire, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17. Authorities would not describe how the teenagers planned to leave Washington or how the two made it to Canada.

The four others also are believed to be in safe hands, but authorities declined to provide further details.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...056e768a7e5_story.html?utm_term=.e58221d3ed17

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Happy dance. Who knows what happens to them from here but it sounds like for today they are safe.

 

[jellybean96]

yay! glad they are safe!

 

[Kasfool71]

As soon as I saw that all 6 that were missing were all a part of the robotics team, i thought they had this planned from the start!! You can't blame them, at all!! The two that went to Canada are "in like flynn"...LOL!! Hopefully the other 4 can make their way to an assembly to claim asylum. This is all JMO!!!

 

[bears10]

I don't know much about foreign passports in relation to border crossing so I am confused, maybe someone can help explain. How did minors cross the border from the US into Canada with foreign passports? I would think that would raise some alarms, especially since they are minors with non-US passports.

ETA ok I found the following info in case anyone else was also curious...

"Except for nationals of countries on Canada's visa-exempt list, foreign tourists and students temporarily in the United States must apply for a visa to travel to Canada from the United States. Citizens of most, but not all, former and current member countries of the British Commonwealth and dependent territories, many countries in the European Union, and nationals of Taiwan generally will not need a visa and may enter from the United States with a valid passport."
source - http://traveltips.usatoday.com/documentation-required-visit-canada-us-35406.html

According to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas-all.asp, Burundi is a visa required country. So I am wondering if this was planned in advance? Don't visas take a while?

 

[skydelta3574]

This is the pic that should be everywhere, not their passport photos. Those never look any good.

OT, but my 18 year old son got his done recently and how they made this handsome kid look so sketchy I'll never know. I told him I'm his mom and I'd think twice before letting him through customs, haha.

I think their personalities come through in this pic.

I agree! These aren't the pictures that should be out there. Then again, it seems that if all six are missing, perhaps they don't want to be found. This one is tricky.


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