Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye has made a startling claim, stating he has seen “credible intelligence” indicating that Rwanda is planning an attack on his country.
The accusations add to the already strained relations between the two neighbors, with tensions mounting over allegations of support for rebel groups.
“They would say it’s an internal problem when it’s Rwanda [who is] the problem. We know that he [Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame] has a plan to attack Burundi.”
President Évariste Ndayishimiye
In a further escalation, Ndayishimiye accused Rwanda of having orchestrated a failed coup in Burundi a decade ago, drawing parallels between those events and what he claims Rwanda is now doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rwanda has swiftly dismissed these allegations as “surprising” and reiterated that the two nations are in discussions about border security.
Ndayishimiye warned that Burundi would not tolerate being attacked, citing Rwanda’s alleged role in fueling regional instability.
“Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters. But now we don’t have any plans to attack Rwanda. We want to resolve that problem by dialogue.
“The people who did the 2015 coup [were] organized by Rwanda, and then they ran away. Rwanda organized them – it went to recruit the youth in Mahama camp. It trained them, it gave them arms, it financed them. They are living in the hand of Rwanda.”
President Évariste Ndayishimiye
According to Ndayishimiye, handing over these individuals to face justice in Burundi would be a step toward resolving tensions. “If Rwanda accepts to hand over them and bring them to justice, the problem would be finished.”
Burundi’s Struggle With Regional Instability
The conflict between Burundi and Rwanda is just one aspect of broader instability in the region. The ongoing war in the mineral-rich eastern DRC has worsened, with multiple armed groups fighting for control of resources.
“External forces are responsible for perpetuating this conflict. They do not want peace in the DRC because they want to continue looting its resources.”
President Évariste Ndayishimiye
He emphasized that the crisis is not about the Congolese people but about competition for the region’s wealth. The president suggested that a sustainable solution would require all parties, including opposition groups and armed militias, to engage in dialogue.
However, he remains skeptical about Rwanda’s willingness to engage in such discussions.
“The problem between Rwanda and the DRC is a small problem, they can resolve it without killing people. For example, I hear that Rwanda says it is going there [to DRC] because of the FDLR [a Rwandan rebel group accused of links to the 1994 genocide]. But who [is being] killed? All I see is Congolese – why do they kill Congolese when they say they are looking for FDLR?”
President Évariste Ndayishimiye
Since January, the escalation of violence by M23 rebels and Rwandan troops has led to a humanitarian disaster, forcing hundreds of thousands of Congolese civilians to flee their homes. Many have risked their lives crossing the Rusizi River into Burundi, some in makeshift boats, while others have drowned attempting the dangerous journey.
A three-year-old child was among those who tragically lost their lives while attempting to reach safety.
Despite Burundi serving as a refuge for displaced Congolese, some asylum seekers have reported difficulties re-entering their homeland due to border closures. Burundi’s government, however, denies that its borders with the DRC are shut.
As tensions between Rwanda and Burundi continue to rise, the region remains on edge, with fears of further conflict and displacement. Burundi maintains that it seeks peace through dialogue, but Ndayishimiye has made it clear that his country will not hesitate to defend itself if provoked.
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