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Rights group concerned about Burundi’s ‘secret’ mission in DRC | Armed Groups News


Burundi has sent troops and civilians into the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight Burundi’s armed opposition groups on a secret mission, a human rights group has said.

The Burundian government has sent forces and members of the ruling civilian youth party on a covert mission to fight Burundi’s armed opposition groups in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a group human rights said.

In a report Released on Wednesday, the Burundian Human Rights Initiative (BHRI) detailed how hundreds of military personnel and Imbonerakure – members of the ruling party’s youth federation – have been sent to the DRC since December. 2021 against RED-Tabara, an armed opposition group of Burundi.

According to the report, this mission did not involve the Congolese armed forces. Instead, the Burundian army formed alliances with armed groups in the country – some against the Congolese army.

“The covert nature of the Burundian military build-up in the DRC, coupled with the militarization of Imbonerakure and the overtly tough rhetoric by senior officials of the ruling party in Burundi, will worry international actors. shy,” BHRI said.

“The move toward a more authoritarian and militaristic approach could signal a setback to an even more repressive form of governance.”

The human rights group interviewed soldiers and civilians from both Burundi and the DRC, including the ruling party and opposition members, as well as Imbonerakure and their relatives.

From the information it has gathered, the BHRI says the military operation is linked to the “increasing militarization trend” in Burundi, against President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s attempt to project a conciliatory image. and internationally acceptable.

Although the operation was an open secret, the government has not officially acknowledged sending troops to the DRC.

The report states that some Imbonerakure were effectively tricked into carrying out a combat mission abroad, for which they were completely unprepared and with no military training. They were paid between 50,000 and 200,000 Burundian francs ($24 to $96), and were warned not to talk about their roles or military activities.

According to statements from soldiers, soldiers entering the DRC were ordered to change into civilian clothes so that the international community could not identify them as Burundian soldiers.

It is also reported that at least 40 soldiers are believed to have refused to go to the DRC or asked to see official documents showing that the mission was carried out in two separate incidents in Cibitoke province between late January and late January. mid February. BHRI cannot independently verify these claims.

The person who led the mission against Burundian armed groups in the DRC was Joseph Mathias Niyonzima, also known as Kazungu, BHRI said.

Niyonzima is a member of the Burundian National Intelligence Service (SNR) and has been sanctioned by the European Union and the United States since 2015 for his involvement in several cases of extra-judicial executions, torture and human rights violations. other rights in Burundi.

Other SNR spies who have played a prominent role in the crackdown on political violence in the country, along with senior members of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, are using this covert mission as a covert mission. ploy to secure their party’s long-term dominance across the country, BHRI said.

“Despite winning the last three elections and maintaining control of the country, the paranoia of the CNDD-FDD persists, as evidenced by its violent repression of opponents. and critics, even those unarmed,” BHRI said.

This is evidenced by the growing nationalist extremist enthusiasm led by the CNDD-FDD, which has embarked on a more politicized training program on “patriotism” for Imbonerakure across the country.

One family member of Imbonerakure who received such training said that the youth union was instructed to “opt all those who are members of the opposition, love only one political party and make sure there are no political parties. other”.

“Anyone who is not a member of their party will be seen as an enemy of the nation, a settler,” the relative said.



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