Severe Penalties for Burundian Soldiers Refusing to Fight M23
On February 6, 2025, 272 Burundian soldiers were sentenced for refusing to fight alongside FARDC against M23. The sentences range from four years in prison to life, with the possibility of appeal within two months. The soldiers were classified into four categories according to their mode of return to Burundi:
1. First category: first-class soldiers and corporals who returned by plane, sentenced to four years in prison.
2. Second category: corporals and non-commissioned officers repatriated by plane, sentenced to five years in prison.
3. Third category: first-class soldiers and corporals repatriated by boat, sentenced to ten years in prison.
4. Fourth category: corporals and non-commissioned officers who arrived by boat, sentenced to life imprisonment.
One soldier was sentenced to one year in prison. Currently detained in the central prison of Murembwe in Rumonge, they were previously incarcerated in Ruyigi, Bururi, and Rumonge. The Burundian army is engaged in the war against M23 in North Kivu, alongside FARDC and local militias, under a bilateral partnership. Despite criticisms, President Évariste Ndayishimiye defends this mission.
Discover More
Sudan: The Consolidation of Partition
Sudan's war is increasingly evolving from a contest for control of one state into the construction of two rival territorial and administrative orders. SAF hold the centre, east, and the Red Sea seat of government at Port Sudan.
The Central Sahel
The central Sahel has crossed a threshold that the vocabulary of "counter-terrorism" no longer captures. Al-Qaeda's regional affiliate, JNIM, and the ISSP now hold, between them, more territory than at any point since the 2012 Malian collapse — and JNIM has moved beyond attrition warfare into the deliberate substitution of the state, pairing military pressure with taxation, dispute adjudication, and service provision in the zones it controls.
REQUEST FOR INTEREST
How can we help you de-risk Africa?
Please enter your contact information and your requirements and needs for us to come back to you with a relevant proposal.
