President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, said he should not be held responsible for the actions of his country’s troops involved in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including alleged cooperation with the FDLR terrorist group.
Officially, Burundi deployed troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2022. At the time, they initially operated in South Kivu Province, where they were reportedly sent to fight Burundian armed groups, including Red Tabara, FOREBU, and FNL-Nzabampema.
In 2023, the bilateral agreement was renewed, and Burundi deployed troops to North Kivu Province to support the Congolese army in fighting the AFC/M23 alliance, which was continuing to capture large areas.
Since then, Burundian troops operating in Masisi Territory have been accused of cooperating with the FDLR, an armed group opposed to the Rwandan government, and of providing protection to it as it fought alongside Wazalendo groups in attacks against civilians.
Survivors of an attack carried out by the FDLR and Wazalendo groups on the village of Nturo in Masisi in October 2023 said Burundian troops had a military base nearby but did not intervene as their homes were being burned and they were denied refuge.
FDLR fighters have continued to participate in attacks in areas controlled by AFC/M23 and the MRDP-Twirwaneho group in South Kivu Province, including the Minembwe commune, where many civilians have been killed.
In an interview with BBC Gahuzamiryango published on July 31, 2026, President Ndayishimiye said Burundian troops had been deployed to support the Congolese army in the war and that they were under the command of the government in Kinshasa, which also decides where they should operate.
He said, “When you hear that the FDLR is aligned with the Congolese government, remember that the Burundian army went to support the Congolese government. It is not Burundi that is fighting in Congo. We deployed troops under the command of the Congolese government. So you cannot ask me, ‘How are they conducting their operations?’”
President Ndayishimiye said Burundian troops in the DRC should be regarded as being on an international peacekeeping mission, meaning that any misconduct they commit should be attributed to the international organization rather than the country that deployed them.
He said, “I send troops to Somalia, and they are AU troops. Once they arrive there, they wear AU uniforms. In the Central African Republic, once they arrive, they wear UN uniforms. They are no longer called Burundian troops; they are UN troops who came from Burundi.”
The Head of State continued, “That is why people should distinguish between these things. When a country sends troops to another country to intervene, it is not going there to attack; it is going to help. That country is not the one carrying out the operations; they are being carried out by that other country.”
In addition to fighting in the DRC, reports indicate that FDLR leaders have held meetings with senior officers of the Burundian army, including meetings in areas near the border such as Cibitoke, where they allegedly planned military operations and agreed to continue their cooperation.
In early December 2025, when AFC/M23 captured large parts of Uvira Territory along the Ruzizi Plain, it was reported that Burundi had received a large number of fighters who had fled into the country, including FDLR and Wazalendo fighters. They were reportedly taken to the Mwaro military camp.
Following heavy fighting in Minembwe and surrounding areas in early July 2026, reports indicated that Burundi had received numerous wounded fighters, including FDLR and Wazalendo members, who were taken to major hospitals, including Tanganyika Care Polyclinic.
