Reports Allege Burundi Has Hosted FDLR Fighters as Fighting Intensifies in South Kivu

Bujumbura / South Kivu - Burundi is facing renewed scrutiny amid reports that it has hosted fighters from the FDLR, a group designated as terrorist, following recent advances by the AFC/M23 coalition in the Rusizi Valley, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to multiple sources, FDLR fighters crossed into Burundi between December 7 and 10, 2025, alongside approximately 2,000 DRC army (FARDC) and Wazalendo fighters, after M23 seized large areas of the Rusizi Valley.

Most of the fighters reportedly entered Burundi via the Rusizi River bridge, which separates the two countries. Upon arrival, Burundian troops gathered them at the Buganda football stadium, as well as at temporary camps in Cishemere and Kansega.

Sources say that at the Buganda airfield, Burundian forces provided food assistance to about 1,600 FDLR and FARDC fighters, while more than 400 Wazalendo fighters were reportedly excluded, a move observers say highlights the long-standing ties between Burundi and the FDLR.

The Burundian outlet SOS Médias reported that authorities in Bujumbura are preparing a camp located far from the border to host FDLR, Wazalendo, and FARDC fighters, while awaiting support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The ICRC has previously played a central role in the region, particularly in the transfer of prisoners of war, including the evacuation of Congolese troops from M23-controlled areas to Kinshasa. Analysts note that the ICRC could similarly facilitate the transfer of FARDC and Wazalendo fighters from Burundi to DRC-controlled territory.

However, uncertainty remains over the fate of the FDLR fighters, many of whom are Rwandan nationals. Observers question whether Burundi will retain them or agree to repatriate them to Rwanda.

Meanwhile, there are reports of ongoing coordination meetings between the Burundian and DRC governments to plan a large-scale military campaign aimed at retaking areas of the Rusizi Valley, including the strategic city of Uvira, recently captured by M23.

Sources suggest the plan could involve FDLR and Wazalendo fighters, both those who retreated to the South Kivu highlands and those currently inside Burundi, raising concerns about a broader regional escalation.

Allegations of cooperation between Burundi and the FDLR are not new. A UN Group of Experts report published on November 23, 2009, documented weapons transfers allegedly involving the FDLR through Burundi, Uvira, and Fizi.

In 2008, Burundi reportedly purchased 40,000 Steyr AUG rifles from Malaysia, officially claiming they were intended for the police force, which then numbered fewer than 20,000 officers. UN experts later questioned the purchase, alleging that the weapons were instead supplied to the FDLR, which reportedly paid in precious stones.

The report further stated that since 2005, when the CNDD-FDD party came to power, Burundi had become a rear base for the FDLR, with hundreds of fighters trained in Bujumbura before being sent to fight in eastern DRC.

During Kimia II operations against the FDLR between July and August 2009, many FDLR fighters fled to Burundi, where they were arrested. Some reportedly confirmed having direct links with General Adolphe Nshimirimana, then head of Burundian intelligence, and senior police officials-ties later acknowledged by the Burundian government.

UN experts found that between June and August 2009, Agricole Ntirampeba, head of Nshimirimana’s office at the time, held 13 meetings with an FDLR officer known as Major Mazuru, during which Burundian officials allegedly assisted the group with equipment and medical supplies.

Ntirampeba, later promoted to Major General, has served as Burundi’s Ambassador to the DRC since 2022, an appointment made by President Évariste Ndayishimiye. Gen. Nshimirimana was assassinated in August 2015.

During the 2015 political crisis in Burundi, which followed an attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza, sources say the Burundian government again called on FDLR fighters for support.

More recently, as relations between Rwanda and Burundi deteriorated following the 2022 truce, Burundi is reported to have strengthened ties with the FDLR and FLN, bringing the groups together in a coordinated effort against Rwanda.

Meetings reportedly took place in August and September 2024 at hotels in Bukinanyana and Kabarore, involving senior leaders of these armed groups, including Gen Omega, Hamada, Jeva, and Theophile, alongside Burundian military officers.

When Burundi deployed troops to eastern DRC beginning in 2022, they were repeatedly accused of operating alongside FDLR fighters, particularly in Masisi territory, allegedly bound by shared ideology and economic interests.

Although M23 fighters have since pushed Burundian forces out of North Kivu and much of South Kivu, advancing into Uvira territory, reports suggest continued coordination between Burundi, FARDC, Wazalendo, and the FDLR.

Analysts warn that under these conditions, FDLR fighters who have fled to Burundi may not be treated as refugees, but rather as strategic partners, potentially playing a key role in preparations for a counter-offensive against M23.