Rwanda and Burundi in talks to reduce regional tensions from DRC conflict
Tensions escalated when Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye accused Rwanda of supporting a December 2023 attack by RED-Tabara
Rwanda and Burundi are holding discussions to address tensions linked to the ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo.
Speaking to The New Times on Friday, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe said that dialogue was underway to ease friction between the two nations. The primary focus is to enhance security for both countries.
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“These discussions focus on ensuring the safety of both nations. We need a mutual understanding to safeguard Rwanda and Burundi,” he said.
Nduhungirehe noted that multiple meetings had taken place, resulting in agreements, but it was premature to predict outcomes.
“We have met several times and agreed on steps forward. Now we must observe how these agreements are put into action,” he said.
Relations between Rwanda and Burundi worsened after Burundian troops became part of a coalition supporting the Congolese army, which included the FDLR, a militia with ties to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
This alliance, also composed of Southern African forces and European mercenaries, was engaged in combat with M23 rebels. Rwanda raised concerns that the coalition posed a security threat.
Tensions escalated further when Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye accused Rwanda of supporting a December 2023 attack by RED-Tabara, an armed group operating from eastern DR Congo. Rwanda denied the accusation.
In early 2023, Burundi unilaterally shut its border with Rwanda.
Burundi’s role
As fighting between the Congolese army and M23 escalated, the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) was deployed to eastern DR Congo in November 2022.
The multinational force, comprising troops from Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda, was tasked with stabilising the region.
However, Kinshasa wanted the regional force to combat M23, which was beyond its mandate.
Over a year later, EACRF withdrew in December 2023.
While some Burundian soldiers departed, many remained in North Kivu Province under different arrangements and continued fighting alongside the Congolese army.
Others had earlier been deployed to South Kivu under a secret deal, further complicating the situation.
In March 2023, President Paul Kagame criticised Burundi’s involvement, stating that he had warned Ndayishimiye against sending troops to fight alongside the FDLR.
In an interview with Jeune Afrique, Kagame recounted his conversation with the Burundian leader.
“I called him and asked if Burundi was deploying forces outside the EACRF mandate to support Kinshasa. He denied it, but within two weeks, they were in Goma,” he said.
Ethnic divisions
President Kagame pointed out that ethnic divisions continued to shape regional politics.
“We still see leadership based on ethnicity, and this is what connects Tshisekedi, Ndayishimiye, and the FDLR,” he said.
Last month, Nduhungirehe rejected Ndayishimiye’s claim that Burundian troops were in DR Congo to combat foreign armed groups. He questioned why they had not targeted the FDLR.
“If their mission was to fight foreign groups, why did they not engage the FDLR? Instead, why are Burundian forces cooperating with them?” Nduhungirehe posed.
He also recalled that under an EAC-negotiated ceasefire, the Burundian contingent in EACRF took control of areas previously held by M23, including Nturo, a village home to Congolese Tutsi.
In October 2023, extremist militias attacked the village, killing residents and burning homes while Burundian troops stationed nearby did not intervene. Survivors fled to a neighbouring village, joining more than 17,000 displaced people.
Hostile forces
“This village of Nturo, devastated by hostile forces, is now under M23 control, which has enabled residents to rebuild and live in safety,” Nduhungirehe said.
At the time, he noted that this attack, carried out by militias with the support of Burundian troops, went unaddressed by global organisations such as MONUSCO, the UN Security Council, and Western powers.
Since then, Burundian forces have actively fought M23 and Congolese Tutsi communities, taking advantage of the EACRF’s departure and the increasing presence of Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces.
The ongoing conflict, which began in 2021, has escalated with a coalition comprising the Congolese army, the FDLR, over 10,000 Burundian troops, 1,600 European mercenaries, and SADC forces battling M23 rebels.
In December 2023, M23 joined a broader rebel alliance, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which opposes tribalism, corruption, and genocide ideology in DR Congo.
Villages populated by unarmed Banyamulenge civilians continue to face attacks, with Congolese army bombings targeting South Kivu Province using drones and fighter jets.
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