Burundi is withdrawing its troops from Eastern DR Congo, where they have been engaged in combat against M23 rebels, according to sources on Tuesday, marking another setback for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army as it struggles to halt a rebel push.
The withdrawal occurs as accusations from the UN Human Rights Office that M23 rebels are responsible for executing children in eastern DR Congo during their offensive, which has allowed them to capture the two largest cities in the area.
“A convoy of military trucks arrived in the country yesterday,” a Burundian army officer said, confirming movements that two UN sources and an African diplomat also detailed.
Burundian forces had joined the Congolese troops to defend Kavumu, where the airport serving Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, was taken over last weekend.
For several years, Burundi has initially deployed soldiers in Eastern Congo to combat Burundian rebels and, more recently, assist in the fight against M23.
An M23 source indicated on Tuesday afternoon that not all Burundian troops had left, while a resident in South Kivu confirmed that some remained on the Congolese side of the border.
M23, which is well-equipped, is the latest instalment in a series of ethnic Tutsi-led rebel factions to surface in the unstable eastern region of DR Congo.
Rwanda denies accusations from DR Congo, the United Nations, and Western nations that it provides support to the group in terms of weaponry and personnel, claiming it is merely defending itself against a Hutu militia that collaborates with the Congolese military.
DR Congo dismisses Rwanda’s assertions and accuses it of exploiting its proxy militias to pillage its mineral wealth.
Various armed groups compete for dominance over the region’s rich mineral resources, including tantalum and cobalt, essential for electric vehicles, mobile devices, and other technological goods utilised globally.
Additionally, DR Congo stands as the leading supplier of copper to China.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 individuals have fled into Burundi from the region around Bukavu recently, placing immense pressure on resources and causing overcrowding in transit facilities, reported Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency.
Meanwhile, commercial boat operations resumed on Lake Kivu on Tuesday as ports in Goma and Bukavu reopened, which the United Nations noted could enhance humanitarian aid access after weeks of fighting and looting.
However, Goma’s airport, identified by the UN as a crucial supply route for aid, remains shut, potentially hindering the scaling up of operations.
To the north of Goma, Uganda’s military reported its entry into the eastern Congolese city of Bunia with the consent of local military officials to curb militia-related violence there.
