The US embassy in Burundi announced Saturday that it has ordered the families of its officials to evacuate, citing threats from the nearby war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a statement made on Saturday, February 22, 2025, the embassy stated that it had “authorised” non-essential workers to leave as well. The embassy noted that it will continue to provide emergency consular services in Burundi.
The M23 rebel group, backed by Rwandan forces, has seized two provincial capitals in eastern DRC in recent weeks, handily defeating the Congolese government despite military assistance from Burundi.
M23 forces are nearing the Burundi border as they advance in the region rich in natural resources.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 42,000 refugees have crossed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Burundi in the last two weeks alone.
Despite official denials, Burundi has begun to remove some of its 10,000 soldiers assigned to reinforce the Congolese army, sources told AFP this week.
In a phone conversation with Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked for a cease-fire.
