The ongoing violence which escalated way before Rwanda and the DR Congo signed the Washington Accords on Peace and Prosperity has led to immense violence for the people of South Kivu province, especially the Banyamulenge communities. Hundreds of people have already lost their lives and thousands more have fled the country into Rwanda. At the heart of this violence is the Burundian government, which the international community has not condemned. The Burundian government has, over the last couple of months, deployed more than 20,000 troops across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces where they have been actively attacking civilians. Recent revelations have shown that Burundi's military presence in eastern DR Congo has become a major driver of violence. Burundian troops have been deployed across key locations such as Uvira, Kalimi, Kindu, Walikale, and Kisangani. Yet, Rwanda continues to shoulder the blame from the international community despite the ongoing combat operations that the Burundian army has been engaged in, which has seen scores of Banyamulenge population displaced. As President Paul Kagame indicated, no one is asking the right questions, which is why Burundian forces are doing in eastern DR Congo, and the hundreds of residents they have killed. This is happening with the help of the Congolese government. The FARDC, the Congolese army, has deliberately joined forces with Burundian army, together with the genocidal movement, FDLR, to carry out the ongoing violence. The Kinshasa government is the very government that pretended to sign the Washington Accords, even though it was clear from the beginning that President Felix Tshisekedi was never truly committed to the peace process. The international community should not ignore these facts. In fact, it is high time that the Burundian army and the government be seriously held accountable for their involvement in the current crisis in the eastern DR Congo. The only genuine pathway to a peaceful eastern DR Congo and the Great Lakes region is for every player in this process to truly recognize the very facts that many have ignored, and act accordingly.
