Dr. Bizimana was born in Burundi on February 10, 1968. He holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in International Relations from the Higher Institute of International Relations and Cooperation (IRIC) in Cameroon, where he conducted research on 'Armed Conflicts and Environmental Protection in the Great Lakes Region.'
He began his career at Burundi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2004, serving as Adviser to the Director General in charge for Europe and North America. After two years, he was appointed Deputy Director in charge of protocol at the Vice President's office.
From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Bizimana served as First Counselor at Burundi's Embassy in the United States. In February 2012, he became Director of Regional and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before briefly heading the department responsible for political parties.
In June 2012, Dr. Bizimana was appointed Ambassador of Burundi to Germany, serving until 2016 when he was appointed Ambassador to Russia. In 2022, he was named one of the special envoys of President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Dr. Bizimana's Position on the FDLR Amid Rwanda-Burundi tensions
As relations between Rwanda and Burundi deteriorated, Dr. Edouard Bizimana, a key political figure within President Evariste Ndayishimiye's administration and other senior institutions, has consistently targeted Rwanda both openly and covertly.
Whenever the Rwandan leadership addresses regional conflicts, Dr. Bizimana is quick to respond, often driven by personal sentiments rooted in hostility and attempts to discredit Rwanda within the international community.
In early July 2025, President Paul Kagame told journalists that Rwanda was ready to comply with the commitments made in the peace agreement signed with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Washington in June.
President Kagame clarified that although the DRC had signed prior agreements, it failed to honor them, and Rwanda was waiting to see if the DRC would dismantle the FDLR rebel group as promised in Washington.
At that time, Dr. Bizimana took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), declaring that the FDLR was merely a pretext used by Rwanda. He suggested that President Kagame's assertion about the DRC's failure to comply with previous agreements reflected a lack of genuine intent, stating, 'The FDLR card no longer works.'
On July 3, Rwandan Félix Mugenzi posted on X that Presidents Ndayishimiye and Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC were empowering the FDLR to continue plundering natural resources. Dr. Bizimana responded by claiming the rebel group no longer posed a threat.
He stated, 'The FDLR is no longer a problem for Rwanda; it is just an excuse for Rwanda to exploit the DRC. Your lies will no longer stand.'
Mugenzi's comments were based on multiple reports highlighting that the Burundi government had long collaborated with armed groups opposing the Rwandan government, including the FDLRâ€"particularly since bilateral relations soured in late 2023.
While Dr. Bizimana insists that the FDLR no longer threatens the region, the United Nations Security Council's peace and security committee has repeatedly indicated that the group remains a destabilizing force in eastern DRC and reaffirmed the need for its disbandment.
Burundian not attacking Rwanda faces backlash
On April 16, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, addressed the United Nations Security Council, stating that the 1994 genocide against the Hutu in Burundi should be officially recognized.
Frédéric Gateretse Ngoga, a Burundian ambassador serving at the African Union's Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, refuted Kayikwamba's claim, arguing that no genocide against the Hutu occurred in Burundi during the time it was led by a Hutu president, Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.
Ambassador Ngoga, who previously served as Burundi's ambassador, said, 'My sister Kayikwamba, this is not true. Our president at the time was Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, a Hutu. On the other hand, read the UN reports. There was no genocide against the Hutu in Burundi.'
Following this, Dr. Edouard Bizimana sharply criticized Ambassador Ngoga, accusing him of working in favor of Rwanda, alleging that Ngoga had never condemned the statements made by Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, about Burundi.
Dr. Bizimana stated, 'Frédéric Gateretse serves Rwanda's interests, a country that attacks the DRC, and tramples the African Union's principles while pretending to be its spokesperson. I have never heard him condemn the harsh words of Olivier Nduhungirehe against Burundi and the FNL.'
Subsequently, the DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an apology clarifying that Minister Kayikwamba did not intend to assert that a genocide against the Hutu occurred in Burundi in 1994, but rather referred to the events of 1972.
Accusations against Uganda
On February 16, the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People's Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, publicly expressed support for the reasons behind the M23 rebels taking up arms following their capture of Bukavu city.
At that time, General Muhoozi admired the fast advances, noting that Ugandans were not involved in the war.
In response, Dr. Edouard Bizimana stated, 'Sending your troops to invade another country is unacceptable behavior. The higher you climb the tree, the worse your fall will be, and it exposes your vulnerability. The world is watching you.'
Later that month, Dr. Bizimana revealed that during the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting held on February 8, Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda expressed doubts about the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying, 'This fuels a dangerous situation.'
The diplomat explained that Burundi has long demonstrated to the international community that the conflict in eastern DRC is different from what people think, implying that Rwanda and Uganda have involvement in the conflict.
He stated, 'At the EAC and SADC meeting in Dar es Salaam, SADC leaders appeared troubled by Museveni and Kagame's positions, raising questions about their commitment to peace in the DRC. Attempts to alter colonial-era borders will create further problems.'
Dr. Bizimana continued to criticize the Ugandan government, telling General Muhoozi that even if the troops he commands reached Kinshasa, they would retreat just as they did during the fight against Mobutu Sese Seko's regime.
Withdrawal of SADC troops proved costly
In late 2023, troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), deployed from South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi, were sent to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to combat the M23 armed rebel group, which was continuing to seize large territories.
These SADC forces had replaced troops from the East African Community (EAC), who were tasked with monitoring the opposing parties to facilitate peace talks held in Nairobi, Kenya.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, who led the EAC at the time, supported President Félix Tshisekedi's call for EAC troops to directly engage M23 positions. He also deployed Burundian soldiers to the Masisi territory to assist the DRC forces, disregarding a regional decision made by heads of state.
In January 2025, SADC troops suffered defeats in Goma and Sake. By March, SADC heads of state decided to withdraw the troops, concluding that only political dialogue could end the conflict.
Following the defeats in North Kivu, Burundi maintained its forces in South Kivu, continuing to cooperate with DRC troops based on an agreement signed in August 2023.
In June 2025, Dr. Edouard Bizimana, then working in President Ndayishimiye's office, expressed regret over the withdrawal of the majority of SADC forces from eastern DRC. He openly disagreed with the regional leaders who decided that political dialogue was the only solution.
Dr. Bizimana stated, 'Supporting peace and security by withdrawing troops? What a defeat!'
It is clear that Minister Bizimana continues to take the same stance he had while serving in President Ndayishimiye's office. This suggests that reconciliation between Rwanda and Burundi may face challenges soon, especially since such inflammatory statements undermined the promising talks initiated in March 2025.
IGIHE
