President Kagame Criticizes Burundi at Umushyikirano Conference

Kigali, Rwanda - February 5, 2026 - President Paul Kagame opened the 20th Umushyikirano Conference, a national forum aimed at sharing ideas, solving problems, and guiding Rwandans. In his address, Kagame called on leaders to fulfill their responsibilities and warned that those who exceed their authority should be held accountable. Turning to regional relations, Kagame criticized Burundi, saying that the country has broken the brotherhood traditionally shared with Rwanda by aligning itself with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He said: "As far as I knew, Rwandans and Burundians are twins, but Burundians chose to say, ‘No, we don’t want you to be twins anymore, we want to be twins with Congolese.’ I have no problem with it if someone chooses who they are born with or who they live with as a twin. I have nothing to do with that, I accept it." Kagame added: "But being twins especially involves bad politics, a politics of self-denial and hatred of others, which they share. This is not a secret because they themselves, the leaders of those countries, are saying it. I am not inventing anything new." He also addressed the international situation, refuting claims that Rwanda is responsible for insecurity in eastern DRC, and reaffirmed the country’s position on regional stability. The speech comes amid growing tensions between Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC, highlighting Kigali’s firm stance on regional diplomacy and security issues.