WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six teenagers from a Burundi robotics team have been reported missing after an international competition in Washington and two of them were seen entering Canada, police said on Thursday.

Members of a teenage robotics team from the African nation of Burundi, who were reported missing after taking part in an international competition, are seen in pictures released by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., U.S. July 20, 2017. Metropolitan Police Department/Handout via REUTERS

The four males and two females were last seen late on Tuesday afternoon when the robotics contest ended at the FIRST Global Challenge, police said. Authorities issued missing persons photographs of the six on Wednesday.

Two of the Burundians - Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, and 16-year-old Don Ingabire - were spotted crossing the United States border into Canada, District of Columbia police spokeswoman Margarita Mikhaylova said.

“We don’t have any indication of foul play and we’re continuing to investigate this case,” she said. Police said they did not have information about how they were spotted or the nature of the border crossing.

Canada’s Border Services Agency said it could neither confirm nor deny that the pair entered Canada.

Teams of teenage students from more than 150 countries took part in the competition, which was designed to encourage careers in math and technology. An all-girl squad from Afghanistan drew worldwide media attention when President Donald Trump intervened after they were denied U.S. visas.

Burundi has long been plagued by civil war and other violence. Fighting has killed at least 700 people and forced 400,000 from their homes since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term in office.

The Burundi Embassy in Washington said by email that it did not know about the robotics contest or if a Burundian team was attending.

Competition organizer FIRST Global said in a statement that its president, Joe Sestak, made the first call to police about the missing competitors. The non-profit group learned on Tuesday night that the Burundi team’s adult mentor had been unable to find them, it said.

The keys to the students’ rooms at Trinity Washington University were left in the mentor’s bag and their clothes had been taken from the rooms, the organization said.

“The security of the students is of paramount importance to FIRST Global,” the statement said. It added that FIRST Global had provided safe transport to university dormitories and students were always supposed to be under the supervision of their mentor.

The other missing Burundians were named as Nice Munezero, 17; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; Richard Irakoze, 18; and Aristide Irambona, 18. Police said the students had one-year visas.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Burundi teenagers gone missing from international robotics competition in Washington, D.C. (all times local):

Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Aquita Brown says they have received reports that two of the Burundi teenagers gone missing after an international robotics competition in Washington have been seen crossing the border into Canada.

She says the whereabouts of their team members is unknown, and that the search for all the teens remains ongoing, but she stresses that police have no indication of foul play in their disappearance.

Brown says the teens in Canada have been identified as 16-year-old Don Ingabire and 17-year-old Audrey Mwamikazi.

Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday's final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations.

Six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team were reported missing after competing in an international competition this week in Washington.

Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday's final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations. A squad of girls from Afghanistan drew the most attention after they were twice rejected for U.S. visas and President Donald Trump intervened.

Competition organizers learned Tuesday night that the team's mentor couldn't find the six students who participated in the competition and organization President FIRST Global President Joe Sestak made the initial call to the police, according to a FIRST Global Challenge statement.</s>Two members of an African robotics team who were reported missing from an international robotics competition in Washington, D.C. were reportedly spotted crossing into Canada on Thursday morning, authorities said.

The D.C. Police Department said that Don Ingabira, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, were seen crossing the northern border into Canada, Fox 5 DC reported. No additional information was available.

The two teenagers were part of a six-member team from the small east African country of Burundi who were in the nation’s capital for the inaugural even of the FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition. They were reported missing late Tuesday night.

WLJA reported the other four teens were reportedly found with family members living in the United States.

On Wednesday, Police said the missing teenagers -- four males and two females -- were last seen in the area of DAR Constitution Hall around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the last day of the three-day competition.

The other teenagers missing were identified as: Richard Irakoze, 18; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; Nice Munezero, 17; Aristide Irambona, 18. They are in the U.S. on one-year visas.

Officials from the Burundi Embassy in Washington told Fox News on Thursday that they were aware of the situation but did not provide any additional details.

Competition organizers learned Tuesday night the team's mentor couldn't find the six students who participated in the competition, and FIRST Global President Joe Sestak, a former congressman, made the initial call to the police, according to a statement from the organization.

AFGHAN GIRLS COMPETE IN ROBOTICS CONTEST AFTER FINALLY ARRIVING IN US

“Security of the students is of paramount importance to FIRST global,” FIRST Global said in a statement. “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.”

In each report, the team's mentor told police the teens “went missing after the competition and he does not know where [they] could have went.”

According to the police reports, authorities attempted to contact an uncle of one of the missing teenagers but received no response.

Burundi, bordered by Tanzania, Rwanda and Lake Tanganyika, has been plagued by sporadic violence since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to seek a third term led to street protests.

Nkurunziza won another term in disputed elections in July 2015 and remains in power, but Burundi has stayed unsettled. At least one armed group has announced a rebellion and sporadic violent attacks have sparked fears of a return to civil war.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning in late June about the African nation, advising Americans of “political tensions, political and criminal violence, and the potential for civil unrest.”

The warning also stated that rebel forces, ex-combatants and youth gangs from the Democratic Republic of Congo reportedly crossed into Burundi and attacked and kidnapped civilians; armed criminals have ambushed vehicles.

The competition in Washington, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations. A squad of girls from Afghanistan drew the most attention after they were twice rejected for U.S. visas and President Donald Trump intervened so they could come to America.

The competition's webpage about Team Burundi shows the six team members posing with a flag and says team members were selected from schools in Bujumbura, the capital city. The team's slogan in Kirundi is "Ugushaka Nugushobora," meaning "where there is willing is also the ability," according to the page.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>WASHINGTON — Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Aquita Brown says they have received reports that two of the Burundi teenagers gone missing after an international robotics competition in Washington have been seen crossing the border into Canada.

She says the whereabouts of their team members is unknown, and that the search for all the teens remains ongoing, but she stresses that police have no indication of foul play in their disappearance.

Brown says the teens in Canada have been identified as 16-year-old Don Ingabire and 17-year-old Audrey Mwamikazi.

Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday’s final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations.</s>Six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team went missing after participating this week in an international competition in Washington, D.C., local police said Thursday. The competition—titled the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge—previously garnered attention after a team from Afghanistan was twice denied entry to the United States. President Trump later facilitated the approval of their visa requests, and the team went on to win a silver medal for courageous achievement.

As the competition came to a close on Tuesday, the Burundi team chaperone looked for his team members at the Trinity Washington University dorms, where they were staying. Instead, he found their bags packed and their keys returned to him. The last time the teenagers were spotted was at the competition that afternoon. The following day, local authorities posted missing person photographs of the teens, whose ages range from 16 to 18.

On Thursday, a D.C. spokeswoman said two of the team members—16-year-old Don Ingabire and 17-year-old Audrey Mwamikazi—were spotted crossing over into Canada. The sighting appeared to confirm authorities’ suspicion that the teens were intentionally seeking asylum from their home country. “We don’t have any indication of foul play,” said spokeswoman Margarita Mikhaylova. The competition’s organizers added that the security of students is “of paramount importance,” and that participants are given safe transportation to and from the Trinity dorms. They, too, believe the teenagers’ disappearance may have been “self-initiated.”</s>WASHINGTON — Two of six Burundi teenagers who went missing after an international robotics competition in the United States have been seen crossing the border into Canada, U.S. authorities said Thursday.

The search for the teens is ongoing, but police have no indication of foul play in their disappearance, said Aquita Brown, a spokeswoman for police in Washington, D.C.

Canadian officials would not say if the two students reported to have been seen crossing the border — a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old — had made refugee claims.

Canada Border Services Agency said in an email Thursday that it is not its practice to confirm or deny the entry of any person into Canada. The RCMP said it was not in a position to comment on the matter.

American authorities tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the six teens, who had last been seen in the U.S. at the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday’s final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four male students ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition in the U.S. capital, which is designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations. A squad of girls from Afghanistan drew the most attention after they were twice rejected for U.S. visas and President Donald Trump intervened.

Organizers learned Tuesday night that the Burundi team’s mentor couldn’t find the six students who participated in the competition and FIRST Global president Joe Sestak made the initial call to police, a FIRST Global Challenge statement said.

The mentor said the teens travelled from Burundi for the competition and have one-year visas, U.S. police reports say. The mentor said they disappeared after the competition, but he doesn’t know where they went. The reports say police tried to contact one missing teen’s uncle but got no response.

The competition’s webpage about Team Burundi shows the six team members posing with a flag and says team members were selected from schools in Bujumbura, the capital city.

Alastair Clarke, a Canadian immigration lawyer based out of Winnipeg, said one of the most common reasons asylum-seekers choose Canada over the U.S. is because of a “general fear of the Trump administration.”

“I have heard it on numerous occasions that individuals have chosen Canada because they don’t feel that the U.S. government is supportive of refugees,” said Clarke, who has worked on several cases involving Burudi refugees claimants.

He said many refugees claimants in the U.S. are detained while their asylum claims are in process and many have heard that they will receive more legal support and support from established communities in Canada.

“I’ve had clients who have gone through the U.S. system and they have been detained for four, six, 12 or 18 months while their refugee claim is in process,” Clarke said. “This has been a huge detriment to their application — they have not had access to counsel, they have not had access to get proper documents.”

Clarke added that Burundi — an East African nation of about 10 million people who speak the local Kirundi language and French — is on a list of countries at the Refugee Protection Division for expedited processing.

Henry Chang, a Toronto-based lawyer for Blaney McMurtry, who is not involved in the situation, said the one-year visas issued to the students by the U.S. government mean they would likely fall under the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement.

The agreement requires people to apply for asylum in the first country where they arrive, unless an immediate family member lives in the other country.

The Canadian government has faced pressure to repeal the agreement, with many arguing it is the reason asylum-seekers have crossed the border on foot, to bypass border points so they could make their refugee claims once already in the country.

“There is a clear perception … that Canada is more inclined to grant them refugee status if they come here,” Chang said. “That’s why you’ve seen this influx of people — who aren’t even illegal, they are in legal status — but they don’t think there is any hope for them in the U.S., so they make the trek across the border like everyone else is doing right now.”

— With files from Daniela Germano at The Canadian Press</s>July 21 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement authorities on Friday were seeking six teenagers from Burundi who went missing after a robotics competition in Washington, two of whom had been spotted crossing the border into Canada.

The teens, aged 16 to 18, were last seen Tuesday after the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge, Washington, D.C., police said.

"We have been in touch with the Metropolitan Police Department; they told us that they are doing what they can to find those teens," Benjamin Manirakiza, first counselor in the Burundi Embassy in Washington, said in a phone interview on Friday. "We have confidence in the capacity of the police."

A Washington police spokeswoman said the teenagers' disappearance was still under investigation on Friday, and declined to say what U.S. state they were spotted crossing from.

Police have said they do not believe foul play was involved.

Two of the teens - Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, and 16-year-old Don Ingabire - were spotted crossing the United States border into Canada. The other missing Burundians were named as Nice Munezero, 17; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; Richard Irakoze, 18; and Aristide Irambona, 18.

Officials at Canada's Border Services Agency, the immigration and refugee ministry and the Burundian embassy in Ottawa, said they had no information on the teens' whereabouts.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police declined to comment on the teens' whereabouts but said that anyone who crossed the border illegally would be returned to border services.

"Crossing the Canadian border without reporting at a port of entry is illegal," said spokeswoman Annie Deslile, in an e-mail. "If the individual who has illegally entered between ports of entry claims to be a refugee, he/she is then transported to a port of entry."

High school students from more than 150 countries took part in the competition, which was designed to encourage careers in math and technology. An all-girl squad from Afghanistan drew worldwide attention when President Donald Trump intervened after they were denied U.S. visas.

Burundi has long been plagued by civil war and other violence. Fighting has killed at least 700 people and forced 400,000 from their homes since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term in office.

FIRST Global, a U.S. non-profit that organized the competition, said it had notified police about the missing competitors.

More than 3,000 would-be refugees have crossed the U.S. border into Canada so far this year, according to government statistics. (Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Editing by Bernadette Baum and David Gregorio)</s>WASHINGTON (CBS News) — Six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team were reported missing after competing in an international competition this week in Washington. Police later confirmed to CBS News that two of the missing teens were seen crossing into Canada and that there was no indication of foul play.

Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday’s final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations. A squad of girls from Afghanistan drew the most attention after they were twice rejected for U.S. visas and President Trump intervened.

Competition organizers learned Tuesday night that the team’s mentor couldn’t find the six students who participated in the competition and organization President Joe Sestak made the initial call to the police, according to a FIRST Global Challenge statement.

“Security of the students is of paramount importance to FIRST Global,” organizers said, noting that they ensure students get to their dormitories after the competition by providing safe transportation to students staying at Trinity Washington University. The students “are always to be under close supervision of their adult mentor and are advised not to leave the premises unaccompanied by the mentor.”

The mentor said the teens traveled from Burundi for the competition and have one-year visas, according to police reports. The mentor said they disappeared after the competition, but he doesn’t know where they went. The reports say police tried to contact one missing teen’s uncle but got no response. The reports state police canvassed DAR Constitution Hall, where the competition was held.

The competition’s webpage about Team Burundi shows the six team members posing with a flag and says team members were selected from schools in Bujumbura, the capital city. The team’s slogan in Kirundi is “Ugushaka Nugushobora,” meaning “where there is willing is also the ability,” according to the page.

Police tweeted images of the teens Wednesday, saying they are looking for 17-year-old girls, Audrey Mwamikazi and Nice Munezero; 18-year-old men, Richard Irakoze and Aristide Irambona; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; and Don Ingabire, 16. Police told CBS News on Thursday that Audrey and Don were seen crossing into Canada.

Hundreds of people have been killed in violence in Burundi since April 2015 following a failed coup attempt, according to the United Nations, and rights groups accuse Burundi’s security forces of carrying out serious rights abuses, including killings and disappearances.

Burundi’s government often dismisses the allegations, saying they are based on false information supplied by the regime’s opponents.</s>(Reuters) - Burundi is counting on U.S. law enforcement officials to find six teenagers who went missing after a robotics competition in Washington, an official with the East African country's embassy said on Friday.

The teens, aged 16 to 18, were last seen on Tuesday after the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge, and two have since been spotted crossing the border into Canada, according to Washington, D.C., police.

"We have been in touch with the Metropolitan Police Department; they told us that they are doing what they can to find those teens," Benjamin Manirakiza, first counselor in the Burundi Embassy in Washington, said in a phone interview on Friday. "We have confidence in the capacity of the police ... It's very important, of course, that the kids be safe."

A Washington police spokeswoman said the disappearance of the teenagers was still under investigation on Friday, and declined to say what U.S. state they were spotted crossing from.

Police have said they do not believe foul play was involved in the youths' disappearance.

Two of the teens - Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, and 16-year-old Don Ingabire - were spotted crossing the United States border into Canada. The other missing Burundians were named as Nice Munezero, 17; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; Richard Irakoze, 18; and Aristide Irambona, 18. Police said the students had one-year visas.

Officials at Canada's Border Services Agency, as well as the Burundian embassy in Ottawa, said they had no information on the teens' whereabouts.

Teams of high school students from more than 150 countries took part in the competition, which was designed to encourage careers in math and technology. An all-girl squad from Afghanistan drew worldwide media attention when President Donald Trump intervened after they were denied U.S. visas.

Burundi has long been plagued by civil war and other violence. Fighting has killed at least 700 people and forced 400,000 from their homes since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term in office.

FIRST Global, a U.S.-based non-profit that organized the competition, said it had notified police about the missing competitors.

More than 3,000 would-be refugees have crossed the U.S. border into Canada so far this year, according to government statistics. Many have told Reuters they are fleeing Trump’s immigration crackdown.</s>The Latest on Burundi teenagers gone missing from international robotics competition in Washington, D.C. (all times local):

Organizers of a robotics competition say six teenagers from Burundi who went missing at the conclusion of the event may have "self-initiated" their disappearance.

The team members' chaperone filed missing-person reports after the teens could not be found at the conclusion of the international event Tuesday evening in Washington.

On Thursday, a statement from the event organizer, FIRST Global, said the chaperone was caught off guard. First Global said the group may have self-initiated the disappearance, noting that the students had taken all their clothes from the dormitory where they had been staying.

Police say two of the six were seen crossing the border into Canada and that they have no indication of foul play.

Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Aquita Brown says they have received reports that two of the Burundi teenagers gone missing after an international robotics competition in Washington have been seen crossing the border into Canada.

She says the whereabouts of their team members is unknown, and that the search for all the teens remains ongoing, but she stresses that police have no indication of foul play in their disappearance.

Brown says the teens in Canada have been identified as 16-year-old Don Ingabire and 17-year-old Audrey Mwamikazi.

Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday's final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations.

Six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team were reported missing after competing in an international competition this week in Washington.

Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday's final matches. The missing team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The competition, designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations. A squad of girls from Afghanistan drew the most attention after they were twice rejected for U.S. visas and President Donald Trump intervened.

Competition organizers learned Tuesday night that the team's mentor couldn't find the six students who participated in the competition and organization President FIRST Global President Joe Sestak made the initial call to the police, according to a FIRST Global Challenge statement.
Six teenagers, four males and two females, from a Burundi robotics team are reported missing after competing in the FIRST Global Robotics Competition in Washington, D.C. A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year old girl reportedly crossed the United States border into Canada. There is no indication of foul play.