According to army officers, prison officials, and other witnesses, dozens of Burundian troops have been arrested for refusing to be deployed to eastern Congo to combat the advancing M23 rebel group, which is nearing a major border city.
The dissenting soldiers are currently being held in at least four prisons across the small central African country, as reported by The Associated Press.
In recent weeks, clashes between the M23 rebel group, allegedly supported by Rwanda according to the U.S., and Congolese troops have escalated, with the rebels posing a threat to the Congolese city of Goma on the Rwanda border.
Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly acknowledged the presence of Burundian troops in eastern Congo during a broadcast on December 29, citing a defense pact with Congolese authorities.
“If you do not help your neighbor put out the fire when his house is burning, tomorrow, if it is your turn, he will not come to help you,” he stated. “If Burundi is going to help Congo, it is defending itself.”
He stated in that address that it was “normal for Burundian soldiers to be killed on Congolese territory.”
Frictions have been intensifying in Africa’s Great Lakes region as Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo exchange accusations regarding support for violent rebel groups operating in the lawless areas of eastern Congo.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Rwanda’s government of actively backing M23, which controls territory near the Rwanda border.
U.N. experts have pointed to “solid evidence” indicating that members of Rwanda’s armed forces were involved in operations supporting the rebels in eastern Congo. Rwanda, however, denies supporting the M23.
Simultaneously, Burundi is accusing Rwanda of supporting another rebel group based in Congo that opposes Burundi’s government. The group, known as RED-Tabara, has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks inside Burundi. The most recent attack, which resulted in the deaths of at least nine people, occurred on Sunday.
Last month, Burundi suspended diplomatic relations with Rwanda and closed their border, citing Rwanda’s alleged support of RED-Tabara, which operates from Congo’s South Kivu province. Rwanda denies the accusation.
Burundian authorities have not disclosed the number of troops deployed to eastern Congo.
They have also refrained from commenting on the arrests of soldiers who refuse deployment across the border. Brig.
Gaspard Baratuza, the Burundian military spokesman, did not respond to requests for comment.
As per two army officers and multiple prison guards who spoke to the AP, the arrests of dissenting soldiers began in December, with more than 200 individuals detained. Among them are at least 103 held in Rumonge prison in the southwest, as confirmed by two prison guards there.
Others are incarcerated in remand centers located in Ngozi in the north, Ruyigi in the east, and Bururi in the south, as reported by prison guards at each facility.
An army colonel in Bujumbura, the commercial capital, mentioned that many soldiers have been imprisoned “for having refused to fight alongside the (Congolese army) against the M23.”
He also noted that some soldiers face additional charges related to the misappropriation of war funds, although he did not provide further details.
“Some have already been dismissed from the army, but there are also some who have been acquitted. It is no secret that many soldiers are detained for these acts,” he stated.
As per two army officers and multiple prison guards who spoke to the AP, the arrests of dissenting soldiers began in December, with more than 200 individuals detained.
Among them are at least 103 held in Rumonge prison in the southwest, as confirmed by two prison guards there. Others are incarcerated in remand centers located in Ngozi in the north, Ruyigi in the east, and Bururi in the south, as reported by prison guards at each facility.
An army colonel in Bujumbura, the commercial capital, mentioned that many soldiers have been imprisoned “for having refused to fight alongside the (Congolese army) against the M23.”
He also noted that some soldiers face additional charges related to the misappropriation of war funds, although he did not provide further details.
Commencing with the Burundian army captain, who spoke to the AP after deserting the military for refusing deployment to Congo, many have expressed concerns anonymously due to safety apprehensions.
The captain emphasized the importance of a soldier having a clear motive and strategic assessment before engaging in combat, contrasting it with the current situation where soldiers are asked to fight blindly.
Washington has urged the de-escalation of tensions in eastern Congo, home to over 100 armed groups competing for control over the region’s resources, including gold, often accompanied by atrocities.
Notably, many M23 fighters, including Congolese Tutsis, were once part of Congo’s army. They claim to protect local Tutsis from extremist Hutu groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, involved in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda.
Rwandan authorities have rejected U.S. calls for withdrawing troops and missile systems from Congolese territory, citing concerns about the armed groups operating there.