NAIROBI (Reuters) – Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye said he had seen “credible intelligence” that Rwanda has a plan to attack his country, whose forces have battled Rwandan-backed rebels in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
He did not elaborate on the alleged plan, which was dismissed by Rwanda, and said he hoped the problem could be resolved through dialogue.
“We know that he has a plan to attack Burundi,” Ndayishimiye told the BBC in an interview, referring to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
“Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters,” he said.
Rwanda’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, described the statement as “unfortunate”, adding in a post on X that the two countries were holding discussions and had agreed on the need for military and verbal de-escalation.
Ndayishimiye’s comments underscored the regional stakes of the conflict in eastern Congo, where an advance by M23 rebels since January has captured swathes of territory and killed thousands.
A war in eastern Congo from 1998-2003 drew in more than half-dozen foreign armies. This time, Rwanda has sent arms and troops to support M23, according to the United Nations, while Burundian troops have been fighting alongside Congolese forces.
Rwanda denies supporting M23, saying its forces are acting in self defence against Congo’s army and militias hostile to Kigali.
Burundi has had troops in Congo for years to hunt down Burundian rebels there. It withdrew most of its 12,000 troops from Congo in February, a Burundian officer and diplomatic sources told Reuters.
Burundian and Rwandan officials have met several times in recent weeks and agreed for the Rwandan army and M23 not to occupy the Congolese territory of Uvira, which is close to Burundi’s commercial capital Bujumbura, according to four sources with knowledge of the talks.
The two countries have confirmed meetings have taken place, without going into specifics.
(Reporting by Hereward Holland and Sonia Rolley; Editing by Aaron Ross and Philippa Fletcher)
