Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye on Wednesday renewed his accusations against Rwanda, blaming it for fueling insecurity in the region.
He issued the strong statement in Kampala, Uganda, during the 12th High-Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism on Peace, Security, and Cooperation for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been taking place in Entebbe.
In his speech, he expressed appreciation to the international community for condemning the M23 rebel attacks and Rwanda’s alleged military involvement in both North and South Kivu.
He said:
“At this moment, I would like to thank the rapid response from various international organizations, especially the UN Security Council Resolution 2773, which strongly condemned the attacks led by M23 in North and South Kivu, supported by Rwandan troops, and the capture of Goma and Bukavu.”
He further praised several African continental meetings that denounced the violence he claims was perpetrated by M23 and Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF).
Ndayishimiye urged participants at the Kampala meeting to quickly find a solution to the ongoing crisis in eastern DRC, warning that if action is not taken urgently, the war could spread to other DRC provinces and neighboring countries.
He added:
“As we speak, the war in eastern DRC has reached its peak. Without prompt action, there’s a risk it could spread not just within DRC, but also to other countries in the sub-Saharan region.”
He also called for solutions to foreign armed groups operating in the DRC that he claims are supported by countries like Rwanda.
“Indeed, these foreign armed groups active in this part of the DRC receive support from some countries like Rwanda and seek to exploit this crisis. I have been privileged to alert both the international community and the region about these daily land seizures that destabilize the area.”
President Ndayishimiye also warned that the conflict in DRC doesn’t only cause an increase in refugee numbers but also heightens violence and arms trafficking, which may drag more countries into conflict.
This renewed criticism of Rwanda comes after his recent public remarks expressing a willingness to go to war with Rwanda.
