East Africa in recent months has been home to several bloody conflicts including the devastating fight between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and M23 rebels. There is also the Sudanese war and tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Despite this, Burundi’s president has warned of another potential conflict between his country and Rwanda.
- Several conflicts in East Africa including Congo vs M23 rebels, Sudanese war, and Ethiopia vs Djibouti tensions.
- Burundi’s president warns of potential conflict with Rwanda based on ‘credible intelligence’.
- Rwanda denies allegations, states working with Burundi to secure shared border.
Burundi’s president, Évariste Ndayishimiye, recently disclosed to the media that he has what he described as “credible intelligence” showing that Rwanda intends to attack his country.
He also alluded to an attempted coup he said Rwanda initiated a decade ago, likening Rwanda’s alleged plan to “what it’s doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo” now.
In response, as reported by the BBC, Rwanda called the president’s remark, “surprising,” noting that both countries are currently working together on strategies to secure their shared border, which has been closed for more than a year.
As for what the president of Burundi alluded to when he mentioned the DRC, the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, has also in the past denied any involvement with the M23 rebels, which the DRC and UK accused Rwanda of sponsoring.
Additionally, Rwanda has denied any association with the resurged Red Tabara rebel group, which President Ndayishimiye alleges is a proxy army akin to the M23 and that Rwanda is supporting to destabilize Burundi.
What the Burundi president said about Rwanda
“They would say it’s an internal problem when it’s Rwanda [who is] the problem. We know that he [Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame] has a plan to attack Burundi,” President Ndayishimiye stated.
“Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters. But now we don’t have any plans to attack Rwanda. We want to resolve that problem by dialogue,” he added.
He vehemently pointed to finger at Rwanda for the conflict in the DRC.
“The people who did the 2015 coup [were] organized by Rwanda, and then they ran away. Rwanda organized them – it went to recruit the youth in Mahama camp. It trained them, it gave them arms, it financed them. They are living in the hands of Rwanda,” he alleges.
“If Rwanda accepts to hand over them and bring them to justice, the problem would be finished,” he added.
He then went on to call for peace.
“We are calling on our neighbors to respect the peace agreements we have made. There is no need for us to go to war. We want dialogue, but we will not sit idle if we are attacked.
We don’t have anything to ask [of] Rwanda [in return], but they refuse because they have a bad plan – they wanted to do what they’re doing in the DRC.”
Source: BBC
