Authorities in Gatsibo District are searching for three three-year-old girls who went missing on April 24.

The children are from Ndatemwa Cell in Kiziguro Sector. According to Gatsibo District mayor Richard Gasana, they assume that someone, or a group of individuals, are responsible for their disappearance. The parents reported that the kids were missing on April 25.

Gasana said: "We were notified of the incident on April 25, but they went missing on April 24. The the three girls had not returned home as expected. Two of the children went missing en route back home from school; they attended a nearby ECD, while another one was last seen playing in the yard before their disappearance. The district administration has been working tirelessly with local law enforcement and community members to locate them."

Currently, officials have received some tips and leads from concerned citizens, but they are still actively searching for any additional information that could help find the girls.

During a community meeting held in Ndatemwa Cell, where the missing children hail, Gasana urged parents and residents to always remain vigilant and to timely report any suspicious activity or information in order to help ensure safety in the area.

"The parents searched for the missing children by themselves and did not involve officials in due time; if they had, we may have been able to locate them sooner. We call upon residents to work together with local authorities in order to prevent such incidents by reporting anything out of the ordinary."

The mayor believes that given the effort put in searching for the missing children by the police, RIB, and others, there is hope of locating the children.