Despite calls for peace and regional cooperation, Burundi escalated its involvement in the DRC conflict on February 23, 2025, by deploying additional troops to strategic areas in South Kivu Province.
The Ruzizi Plain, a strategic valley forming a natural border between the DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda, is one of the areas receiving additional military presence. The DRC anticipates that the presence of Burundian forces in this region will help push back the M23 rebels, who continue to control large parts of the Kivus.
Additionally, Burundi sent reinforcements to Sange town in Uvira Territory, with the installation of five 107mm guns to strengthen the defenses of the region.
Vugizo, a border area on the Burundi side, also saw an influx of Burundian artillery soldiers, equipped with surveillance drones and 120mm and 122mm guns.
While Burundi's troop deployment continued, President Evariste Ndayishimiye secretly visited Kinshasa to meet with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi. The meeting, held the same day as the reinforcements, focused on the worsening security situation and troop compensation.
Sources close to Tshisekedi's inner circle disclosed that Ndayishimiye's major concern was securing higher payments for the 15,000 Burundian soldiers deployed in the DRC.
The troops have been engaged in combat under a military agreement between the two nations, formalized in August 2023. According to the deal's terms, Tshisekedi pays Ndayishimiye $5,000 per soldier per month, though the soldiers themselves receive far lessâ€"$70 for junior ranks and $100 for officers.
President Tshisekedi, however, rejected Ndayishimiye's request to raise the monthly payments, pointing to the ongoing challenges faced by the DRC's coalition forces in countering the M23 rebels.
Meanwhile, Tshisekedi has offered financial incentives ranging from $400 to $1,000 to members of the FDLR, a militia made up of individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and other armed factions operating in the DRC. He has also promised over USD 120 per combatant in Walikale and Masisi territories to motivate them to intensify their involvement in the conflict.
Burundi's involvement in the DRC conflict has been a subject of controversy since its inception.
The decision to deploy troops was made unilaterally by Ndayishimiye, with critics arguing that it is motivated by personal and ideological interests. Ndayishimiye shares a deep anti-Tutsi sentiment with Tshisekedi and the FDLR.
This ideological alignment has raised concerns among international observers, as both leaders continue to back the FDLR, a group widely criticized for its role in the region's instability.
In contrast to the military support from Burundi, the DRC has struggled to gain assistance from other African nations. Recently, Tshisekedi sought military aid from Mali, Senegal, and Chad, but the nations declined to get involved in the ongoing conflict.
The situation has placed a significant strain on regional peace efforts. At the February 8 summit of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), heads of state called for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue between warring factions.
However, Burundi's continued military presence undermines these efforts, complicating the pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
IGIHE
