Thousands of Congolese civilians fled to Burundi following fighting in South Kivu Province between the AFC/M23 coalition and an alliance comprising the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), Wazalendo militias, Burundian troops, and the FDLR.
Although security has reportedly improved in parts of Uvira city, some refugees attempted to return home. However, Burundian authorities closed the border, preventing their return.
Living conditions for refugees in Burundi have continued to deteriorate. Reports indicate that several people have died due to diseases linked to poor sanitation in overcrowded camps.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Hariana Verás Victória, who is known to be close to DRC authorities and their allies, President Ndayishimiye said the Congolese government should assume responsibility for assisting its displaced citizens.
He noted that while some refugees are being hosted by Burundian families, others without relatives have been settled in refugee camps. Ndayishimiye also criticised the UN refugee agency, saying it has failed to provide adequate assistance to Congolese refugees, and urged President Félix Tshisekedi's government to intervene.
'I call on the DRC government to find ways to help these people,' Ndayishimiye said. 'I do not consider them refugees in the strict sense, but people who moved from one place to another because they were fleeing an enemy that attacked the DRC, not the Congolese government.'
He added that because the displaced civilians did not flee their own government, the DRC remains responsible for their welfare wherever they may be. 'They are not enemies of the state. That is why they should be treated as internally displaced people who crossed from one area to another,' he said.
Ndayishimiye further suggested that the DRC could mobilise international partners to support humanitarian operations, stressing that Burundi does not have sufficient resources to manage the crisis alone.
'As Burundi, we are encouraging our citizens to assist these refugees, but the situation is extremely difficult,' he said. 'We simply do not have the capacity to fully support them, even though cooperation is necessary.'
In early December 2025, Burundi received more than 100,000 Congolese refugees fleeing fighting in the Ruzizi Plain. They joined tens of thousands of others who had already been living in the country for an extended period.
New arrivals were initially placed in temporary camps near the border and have repeatedly appealed to Burundian authorities to allow them to return home, citing dire living conditions and rising deaths in the camps.
The Burundian government has rejected these requests and instead begun relocating refugees to camps farther from the border, including the Busuma camp in the former Ruyigi Province. Refugees relocated there report equally harsh conditions and have staged protests demanding permission to return to the DRC.
IGIHE
