Reports of a major Burundian military deployment into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are heightening concerns about renewed violence in South Kivu, where the Banyamulenge community has long faced persecution and displacement.
Eyewitnesses in Burundi told Afrovera.com that convoys of more than 30 military trucks carrying heavily armed soldiers and equipment have been crossing toward the Congolese border since late last week. Residents in Buganda described the vehicles as heavily equipped, saying the troops appeared to be bound for the high plateaus of Minembwe. The soldiers are believed to have come from Cishemere and Mubugu military camps, where days of intense training and live-fire exercises had been reported.
Regional sources warn that these forces may reinforce Congolese army units and allied Wazalendo militias, groups already accused of attacks on Banyamulenge civilians in the highlands. Humanitarian observers fear that the arrival of thousands of Burundian troops could trigger yet another wave of killings and mass displacement.
In an exclusive telephone interview with a journalist from AfroVera.com, CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu and Ambassador of Peace of the Banyamulenge community in Australia, expressed grave concern about the unfolding situation.
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«We cannot remain silent while foreign troops pour into our homeland with heavy weapons, » he said. «This is a matter of survival for our people. We urgently appeal to the Congolese government and the international community to intervene before more innocent lives are lost. »
CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu stressed that the Banyamulenge people are calling for protection, not conflict. «Our people have endured decades of persecution. We want peace, but peace cannot be achieved under the shadow of foreign military campaigns that target civilians, » he told AfroVera.com.
Not all voices within the community interpret the threat in the same way. Activist Daniel Michombero, citing remarks from a Banyamulenge leader at a recent peace event, suggested that the real risk could come from Rwanda rather than from Congolese or Burundian forces. «If we face the risk of genocide, it will come from Rwanda, not from Congolese or Burundians,» the leader was quoted as saying.
The contrasting perspectives highlight the complexity of the crisis in eastern Congo, where overlapping armed groups, regional interventions and shifting alliances have created an environment of persistent instability. What remains undeniable, however, is that thousands of civilians in the Minembwe highlands now face growing uncertainty and fear. The international community is being urged to act swiftly, to investigate the presence of foreign forces, and to ensure that protection for vulnerable populations is placed at the center of any response.
