The Burundian National Defense Force has confronted the FDLR and Imbonerakure militia in Kibira, with clashes from March 11 to 13. The FDLR sought food from locals, with allegations of support from government officials. Reports indicate a changing stance of the Burundian army towards the FDLR, amid ongoing diplomatic normalization efforts with Rwanda, despite the FDLR’s history of violence.
The Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB), alongside the FDLR and the Imbonerakure militia, has been embroiled in violent confrontations in Kibira, located in the Bukinanyana Commune of north-western Burundi. Reports indicate that these clashes, occurring from March 11 to 13, were ignited by the FDLR’s efforts to procure food from locals in Butahana. Allegations have surfaced concerning government, military, and police officials who are purportedly sheltering and supplying the militia with sustenance and weaponry.
Sources indicate a shift in the Burundian army’s strategy regarding the FDLR, which is associated with the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. This change appears to involve an initiative to drive the FDLR from Burundian territory back towards the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). In the past, thousands of Burundian soldiers have joined forces with the FDLR, contributing to a coalition led by the Congolese government against the AFC/M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo.
The FDLR, identified as a UN-designated terrorist organization, was established by individuals involved in the 1994 genocide. For an extended period, it has been active in collaboration with both Burundian and Congolese military forces in eastern DR Congo, a situation that the government of Rwanda has consistently highlighted as a significant risk to regional stability. These recent clashes occurred concurrently with efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Burundi, a relationship previously strained by Burundi’s affiliations and perceived threats against Rwanda from DR Congo and the FDLR, which has conducted assaults within Rwandan territory for the last twenty years.
The violent confrontations between the Burundian National Defense Force, FDLR, and Imbonerakure militia in Kibira underscore a complex geopolitical situation. The Burundian army’s apparent shift towards pushing the FDLR out of its bounds signals a potential change in relations, especially at a time when attempts to reconcile diplomatic ties with Rwanda are underway. The history of collaboration between these groups raises concerns regarding regional security, with the FDLR’s past violence against Rwanda aggravating the context of these conflicts.
Original Source: www.newtimes.co.rw
