President Paul Kagame has accused neighbouring Burundi of escalating the decades-long conflict in eastern DR Congo, pointing out that more than 20,000 Burundian troops have been deployed across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces where they have been actively attacking civilians. ALSO READ: What are the motivations of Burundi's military intervention in South Kivu? Speaking on Wednesday, December 11, after a swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed government officials, Kagame said Burundi's military presence in eastern DR Congo has become a major driver of violence, even as Rwanda continues to shoulder the blame from the international community. ALSO READ: 80-year-old Congolese reflects on lifetime of injustice, attacks in DR Congo Burundi has deployed more than 20,000 troops across key locations in eastern DR Congo, including Uvira, Kalimi, Kindu, Walikale, and Kisangani, Kagame said, pointing out that the troops are not just present, but actively engaged in combat operations against the Banyamulenge population. ALSO READ: How Burundian troops in South Kivu sparked a distinct humanitarian crisis amid DR Congo’s wider war You ask yourself what these Burundians are doing in those places bombing and killing residents in Minembwe, President Kagame said. Despite Burundi's military presence, President Kagame said the international community was quick to blame Rwanda after the recent capture of Uvira by the AFC/M23 movement. Just recently, after the capture of Uvira, the international community was quick to blame Rwanda. We are now shouldering those burdens, he said, noting that Rwanda continues to receive threats and sanctions for a problem that everyone understands but chooses to ignore. That is okay for us. But we also want to choose what we are blamed for, he said. President Kagame revealed that he personally spoke to Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye about the deployment soon after Burundi chose to remain in eastern DR Congo even after the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) was pushed out in 2023. When Kagame questioned the deployment in areas like Goma and Rutshuru, that are so far away from South Kivu zones where Burundi claimed its security threats originated, Ndayishimiye denied having troops there. He declined and questioned who had told me that Burundian troops were not deployed in the northern part of eastern DR Congo, Kagame said, adding that the evidence came quickly. A coalition ignored President Kagame said Burundi's troops have joined forces with the Congolese army, FARDC, and FDLR militias. The latter are a Kinshasa-backed terrorist militia formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Rwanda, the President said, had intervened to get AFC/M23 to withdraw from Walikale on the promise that this would prompt dialogue. But the moment M23 withdrew, the Congolese army and its coalition reclaimed the territories and attacked M23. The Head of State dismissed claims that fighting escalated after Rwanda signed the Washington Accords, on December 4. The escalation was there before we signed, not after we signed the peace accords. But I keep seeing misinformation that the fighting started after we signed, he said. Kigali signed the agreement willingly and was ready to honour its commitments, he reiterated, insisting that all parties must be held accountable. Everybody has their own share of this problem, and they should be answerable. Be it DR Congo, be it Burundi, and ourselves. We are not going to be answerable for the doing of others, he said. On Tuesday, December 10, the AFC/M23 movement announced that it had captured Uvira, a strategic city in South Kivu, following days of fighting that started in early December. Uvira is the second largest city in South Kivu Province. Its capital, Bukavu, has been under rebel control since February.
