Burundi Intensifies Its Military Involvement in Eastern DRC

In September 2023, Burundi formalized its military cooperation with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), making Gitega the principal regional ally of Kinshasa. Since then, approximately 10,000 soldiers from the Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) have been deployed in the DRC to combat the M23 armed group, supported by Rwanda. A new battalion, the 22nd TAFOK, has been deployed to Bukavu, bringing the number of Burundian battalions present in eastern DRC to sixteen, totalling between 8,000 and 12,000 soldiers.

Five battalions operate in the High and Medium Plateaus of Fizi and Uvira, and around 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers are involved in defending Bukavu against M23. Under the command of General Pontien Hakizimana, also known as Mingi, the Burundian regiment composed of four brigades is active in Kalehe, Kamanyola, and around Kavumu airport. Despite logistical challenges and significant losses, the Burundian Task Force plays a crucial role in military operations.

Furthermore, Burundi closed its border with the DRC on Thursday, February 6, 2025, due to the large number of Congolese crossing the border into Bujumbura. In Bukavu, the metropolitan archbishop, Mgr François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo, wrote to the governor of South Kivu. He advises avoiding clashes in large settlements and among the civilian population. He encourages the soldiers but deplores that some, returning from the front, loot and kill without reason. He calls to avoid turning the city into a battlefield, recalling the recent carnage in Goma.