On Tuesday, six Burundi teens between the ages of 16 and 18 went missing during an international robotics competition in the U.S. capital.
According to reports, the teens’ chaperone noticed the children were missing just as the FIRST Global Challenge ended earlier this week. Upon searching for the children in the college dorms where they were staying, the chaperone realized their belongings were gone.
Officials searched the premises and swept the entire area in search of the children, but they were nowhere to be found. However, after further investigation, officials believe the Burundi teens may have left on their own, as two teens, 16-year-old Don Ingabire and 17-year-old Audrey Mwamikazi, were reportedly seen crossing the Canadian border. Since then, officials have confirmed that the two students are safe.
“There were indications that the students’ absence may have been self-initiated, including leaving all their keys in their mentor/chaperone’s bag and the removal of students’ clothes from their rooms,” FIRST Global said in a statement.
Although two of the six were spotted on Thursday, the remaining four members, which include two 17-year-old girls and two boys aged 17 and 18, are believed to be safe.
According to reports, the Burundi teens came to the states on a one-year visa for the FIRST Global challenge, which is designed to promote the importance of youth participation in math and science. Although officials believe the teens have not sought asylum, their nation has been overwhelmed by violent unrest for the last two years, in the wake of their president’s third term. Several have been killed and nearly 220,000 have fled since the violence commenced.
