Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye has sought to reaffirm his country’s position on Qatar’s role in regional diplomacy, following controversial remarks by his foreign minister that appeared to criticise Doha’s mediation efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a post published on X on Sunday evening, President Ndayishimiye said Burundi had “always appreciated the important role” played by Qatar in promoting peace and development, stressing the need to clarify “any misunderstanding or inaccurate language” concerning the Gulf state’s involvement.
The statement came a day after Burundi’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Edouard Bizimana , wrote on X that it was “essential to highlight Qatar’s negative role” in what he described as the use of its influence and financial leverage to prevent action by the United States. In the same message, Bizimana accused Rwanda of continuing to seize territory in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , alleging that Washington had failed to respond despite the Washington peace agreements.
The minister later deleted the post, but it had already sparked wide debate online and diplomatic unease. Qatar has not issued any official response to the remarks.
Bizimana’s comments were made as international attention was focused on reports of a US military operation in Venezuela, including the capture of President Nicolás Maduro . Although the Burundian president did not explicitly reference his minister’s deleted message, his subsequent intervention was widely interpreted as an attempt to contain diplomatic fallout.
Burundi maintains close military cooperation with the Congolese government, under which Burundian troops are deployed in eastern Congo to support operations against armed groups, including the M23 movement.
Several Western governments, the United Nations , and officials in both Burundi and DR Congo have accused Rwanda of backing M23, allegations Kigali has consistently denied, saying its actions are strictly defensive. Last month, M23 briefly took control of Uvira, a strategic city near Burundi’s border, before announcing its withdrawal claims disputed by Congolese authorities.
Qatar has played an increasingly visible role in efforts to de-escalate tensions in eastern Congo. In March last year, at a time of heightened hostility between Kigali and Kinshasa, Doha unexpectedly hosted a meeting between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame .
Despite Kinshasa’s long-standing refusal to engage directly with M23, Qatar later facilitated talks between the Congolese government and the group. In April, the parties announced an intention to halt hostilities following what they described as frank and constructive discussions.
However, the ceasefire has not held. Fighting and mutual accusations of violations have continued, and the Doha process now appears stalled, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that Kinshasa may have withdrawn from the talks claims the Congolese authorities have not formally addressed.
