Burundi: Rwandan Army Attacking Our Forces in DRC

The Burundian army is deployed in DRC

Burundi on Sunday accused the Rwandan army of carrying out direct attacks against its troops deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, sharply escalating a diplomatic confrontation as fighting intensifies around the strategic city of Uvira.

Speaking to diplomats and representatives of international organisations in Bujumbura, Foreign Minister Édouard Bizimana said Rwanda was continuing “destabilising activities” inside Congolese territory despite regional and U.S.-brokered peace efforts.

“Rwanda continues to deploy its soldiers and launch attacks against the Burundian National Defence Forces present in the DRC,” Bizimana said.

The operations, he added, violate recent ceasefire and peace-restoration agreements signed in Washington last week.

Burundi has approximately 15,000 troops deployed in the DRC under a joint arrangement with Kinshasa aimed at countering M23/AFC rebels, whom Congo and U.N. experts say are backed by Rwanda — an accusation Kigali denies.

The accusations came as M23/AFC rebels advanced southward toward Uvira, seizing a string of towns along the Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu near the Burundi border.

Local authorities said heavy clashes were reported near Sange on Monday afternoon, just 30 kilometres from Uvira, raising fears the conflict could spill across borders.

The stakes are especially high because Uvira lies directly opposite Bujumbura, Burundi’s economic capital, with only a narrow stretch of border and Lake Tanganyika separating the two cities.

If fighting advances toward Uvira’s southern approaches, any spillover could pose a direct security threat to Burundi’s air corridor and critical infrastructure, underscoring why Bujumbura views the situation as an urgent national-security matter rather than a distant foreign deployment.

Bizimana rejected mounting calls for the immediate withdrawal of Burundian forces, insisting that “only the DRC can decide on a possible withdrawal.”

The foreign minister said Burundian troops were operating legally and were committed to protecting “Burundi’s borders, citizens and their property.”

The minister also cited a recent bombardment in Cibitoke Province that killed a woman and a 12-year-old boy, urging regional and international organisations to monitor the situation carefully.

“Any attack against Burundian civilians or soldiers deployed in the DRC will never be tolerated,” Bizimana said, while reaffirming Bujumbura’s official stance that it seeks “peaceful coexistence” with neighbours.

The growing proximity between Burundian troops and Rwandan-backed fighters risks triggering a direct confrontation between two neighbouring countries whose relations have deteriorated sharply.

Uvira Officials Try to Reassure Population

In Uvira, interim mayor and national deputy Kifara Kapenda Kik’y issued a defiant statement, insisting the city “has not fallen and will never fall,” describing it as a “land of resistance” as thousands flee surrounding villages.

The situation remains fluid, with both military and diplomatic developments unfolding rapidly amid fears that the Washington peace accord may be unraveling even before implementation begins.

Kapenda, who also serves as a national deputy, said Uvira, now functioning as the temporary capital hosting South Kivu’s provincial institutions, remained firmly under government control despite rebel gains to the north.

His remarks were aimed at quelling rising anxiety as the insurgency advanced from Kamanyola through Rurambo, Luvungi and most recently toward Sange, roughly 30 km from the city.