RED Tabara Denies Ties to Rwanda, AFC/M23, and 2015 Burundi Coup Plot

January 29, 2026 - The armed group RED Tabara has rejected accusations of collaborating with Rwanda, the AFC/M23 alliance, and the attempted coup in Burundi in May 2015. The denial follows statements by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who said in a January 17 interview that RED Tabara was being used by Rwanda to destabilize Burundi and reinforce AFC/M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In response, RED Tabara spokesperson Patrick Nahimana said the group has never cooperated with Rwanda, citing the 2021 handover of 19 RED Tabara fighters by Rwandan authorities to Burundi as evidence. He also dismissed any link to the 2015 coup attempt, stating that those responsible were Burundian soldiers and not RED Tabara, which he said was already active prior to the events. The group further denied any collaboration with AFC/M23, past or present, and accused the Burundian government of attempting to divert attention from the root causes of its opposition, particularly the dismantling of the Arusha Peace Accords. RED Tabara reaffirmed that its struggle is aimed at promoting democratic governance in Burundi.