Son of Belgian-Burundese soccer star thought to be killed in Syrian war

Fear exists that a 16 year old Belgian boy has died in Syria. Junior, the son of a former soccer star with roots in Burundi, disappeared eight months ago. His family has indications that he was taken to the war by his separated mother, together with his 10 year old brother.

Junior, the 16 y/o son of a Belgian-Burundese soccer star, thought to be killed in Syria

Since the divorce of his parents, Junior and his younger brother lived with their mother. But they stayed close with their father and two unrelated children with whom they were raised. In an exclusive for the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, 21 year old Annaa disclosed what has happened with them.

“We had signs some time already, that the biological mother of my two little brothers was radicalizing”, she told. “But we never thought that it could take this dramatical turn. We are not certain, but there are reasons to believe that she took her children to the Syrian war. Including two from a later relationship, the youngest only four.”

Junior and his siblings were raised as Muslims, but in a very moderate way. “We do fast during the month of Ramadan”, Annaa says. “But I was never pushed to wear a headscarf, for instance. And we do not pray five times a day.” On Junior’s Facebook page, that wasn’t updated after April of last year — at least not publicly — there is not the slightest sign of interest in religious matters.

After Junior’s disappearance, he still contacted Annaa a few times via Facebook. “He always asked how we were doing, but brushed off all questions on his whereabouts”, she says. “He told me that wasn’t allowed to say anything. I think he even wasn’t supposed to get in touch with me, but did it secretly. The last time I have heard from him, was about two months ago.”

On July the 3rd, the ill-fated message arrived. “My father got a phone call from a person we don’t know, telling that Junior had died. After that, he immediately hung up. At first, my father didn’t believe it. But shortly after that, he got a second call — again anonymous and without details. We do suppose now that it’s true however, that Junior is dead.”

It is harrowing for Junior’s relatives to have no certainty. “Don’t ask me where in Syria he was, who convinced his mother to go there, and which group they’ve joined”, Annaa says. “We simply do not know. It is a terrible idea that Junior might be forced into the fighting and was killed in combat. I am sure that he never would have wanted to become a part of that.”

If Junior effectively was killed in Syria, he would be the youngest Belgian victim of that war. According to the independent Belgian researcher Pieter Van Ostaeyen, at least 60 Belgian fighters already have died. Prior to Junior, the youngest of them was former Shariah4Belgium member Khalid Bali. He died near Deir ez-Zor in July of last year, fighting in the ranks of the Islamic State.

Junior pictured at his former school, Institut de l’Assomption in Watermael-Boitsfort near Brussels

Junior on his sister Annaa’s favorite picture, taken about five years ago

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