More Than 1,000 Burundian Soldiers Missing Over the Past Month

More than 1,000 Burundian soldiers deployed in the Rusizi/Ruzizi Valley in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have gone missing over the past month. Between December 2 and 9, 2025, intense fighting erupted in several areas, including Luvungi, Sange, Luberizi, and Kiliba, pitting M23 fighters against DRC forces, supported by Burundian troops, the Wazalendo movement, and the FDLR. The clashes began with the deployment of approximately 20,000 Burundian soldiers in South Kivu province. During the fighting, Burundian forces reportedly suffered heavy losses, including soldiers killed, wounded, or captured. The injured were evacuated to medical facilities such as Kamenge Military Hospital, Tanganyika Care Polyclinic, and Kira Hospital. The M23 movement has confirmed that it captured numerous Burundian soldiers during the fighting in the Rusizi Valley, stating that it is respecting their rights while in custody and expressing its intention to facilitate their return home. Although M23 has not disclosed exact figures, sources in South Kivu indicate that the number of captured soldiers runs into the hundreds. On January 4, 2026, the FOCODE organization, which advocates for the rights of Burundians, particularly those who have disappeared, announced that more than 1,000 Burundian soldiers are unaccounted for in the Rusizi Valley. Their status remains unclear, with uncertainty over whether they are alive, captured, killed, or wandering in the forests. According to testimonies from soldiers who participated in the fighting in Kamanyola-Lubarika-Luvungi, the Burundian army has no information on the whereabouts of over 1,000 soldiers. It is reportedly unknown whether they died in combat, deserted, were captured, or remain missing in the bush. Another reliable source in Burundi claims that 1,794 Burundian soldiers lost their lives in the Rusizi Valley, adding that these soldiers are considered to have deserted the army, with their whereabouts still unknown.