Burundi Announces Receiving 10,000 DR Congo Refugees As M23 Advances
Burundi reported on Monday that about 10,000 people have fled across its western border from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last three days as Rwandan-backed forces advance.
“Those who flee are passing through the official border at Gatumba or cross the river Rusizi,” said the interior ministry in a statement.
It stated that steps were being taken to identify soldiers, civilians, and the ill among the refugees and give shelter with the assistance of the United Nations refugee organization.
🚨Confirmed: Just this last weekend, approx 10k people arrived in #Burundi, fleeing conflict in eastern DRC. People are coming in exhausted, traumatized by the fighting. UNHCR teams at border points helping to receive & assist them. Need for more support to rush in more aid! pic.twitter.com/9T4hsZLLER
— UNHCR Burundi (@UNHCR_Burundi) February 17, 2025
Ce week-end, environ 10 000 personnes fuyant le conflit en RDC sont arrivées au #Burundi. Épuisées et traumatisées, elles ont besoin d'une aide urgente. Les équipes du #HCR travaillent sur place, mais un soutien renforcé est crucial pour répondre rapidement à leurs besoins. pic.twitter.com/4uVnh5Rp2S
— UNHCR Burundi (@UNHCR_Burundi) February 17, 2025
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has captured huge portions of eastern DR Congo in recent weeks, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
This weekend, we arrived in Bukavu, the seat of South Kivu province.
ALSO READ:
- Kenya Goes After British Oil Giant Over Hundreds Of Deaths In The North
- KDF Soldier Arrested Over Wife’s Murder in Nakuru
- Parliament Passes VAT Bill For Petroleum, Slashes It To 8%
- Oburu’s ODM Blasts UDA Over Infiltrating ‘Their’ Zone, Demands Respect
- Safaricom Issues Statement After MyOneApp’s Negative Feedback
That has brought them within 50 kilometres (30 miles) of the Burundi border.
Thousands of DRC refugees flee into neighbouring Burundi as M23 rebels take control of another key eastern city, Bukavu pic.twitter.com/Np5Da3TCII
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) February 17, 2025
Since October 2023, Burundi has committed more than 10,000 troops to support the Congolese army in its fight against M23 and other armed groups.
Interior Minister Martin Niteretse told AFP on Sunday that “thousands of Congolese refugees fled because they panicked when they learned that the city of Bukavu had been taken,” but that he did not yet know the exact figures.
On Friday, officials said that Burundi had temporarily closed a crucial border crossing with DR Congo to prevent the flow of refugees.
Burundi Announces Receiving 10,000 DR Congo Refugees As M23 Advances
