Nduhungirehe Accuses Burundi of Masking Insecurity in Eastern DRC

Kigali, 9 August 2026 - Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe has accused Burundi of worsening rather than resolving insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, arguing that Burundian troops deployed in the region have contributed to the conflict.

Nduhungirehe said Burundi’s military presence in eastern DRC followed a request from President Félix Tshisekedi and involved cooperation with the Congolese army and the FDLR, which Rwanda accuses of threatening civilians, including Banyamulenge communities in the highlands of North Kivu.

The minister said Rwanda had raised concerns over Burundi’s role with international mediators after AFC/M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, arguing that Burundi’s involvement was contributing to instability rather than addressing its causes.

He also said Rwanda had repeatedly attempted to engage Burundi to reduce tensions between the two countries. Security and intelligence officials from both sides held talks along the border in March 2025, agreeing on measures intended to ease tensions, but the discussions later stalled after statements by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye that Rwanda considered contrary to the agreements.

Further meetings were held on 14 and 28 December 2025, following the capture of Uvira by AFC/M23 earlier that month, but Nduhungirehe described those meetings as the last significant security discussions between the two countries.

The minister also rejected recent claims that Rwanda had agreed to hand over people accused of involvement in the 2015 attempted coup in Burundi. He said discussions over the issue had taken place in 2023 but failed after conditions proposed by Burundi were not fulfilled.

Nduhungirehe argued that renewed accusations against Rwanda by President Ndayishimiye were unlikely to help restore bilateral relations, which have repeatedly deteriorated over allegations of support for armed groups and differing positions over the conflict in eastern DRC.

Rwanda and Burundi have experienced several periods of diplomatic tension in recent years, with relations particularly strained over security allegations and the role of each country in the conflict affecting eastern Congo.