Bujumbura : Burundi has already received more than 30,000 Congolese refugees fleeing the war in eastern DRC

Since February 12, 2025, Burundi has been facing a massive influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the Burundian Minister in charge of internal affairs Martin Niteretse, more than 30,000 people have already been registered, including a hundred Congolese police officers.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The majority of Congolese who have fled recently come from the province of South Kivu, which borders Burundi and where the M23 rebels continue to expand their zone of occupation.

“If they (the Congolese) are in difficulty, so are we, as Burundians,” Martin Niteretse said during a meeting devoted to welcoming these refugees. Representatives of UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, were present at the meeting, which took place in the commercial city of Bujumbura, where UN agencies and the central administration are concentrated.

The majority of the new arrivals, about 20,000, have found refuge in Rugombo, in the province of Cibitoke in northwestern Burundi, while 5,000 others are settled in Gihanga, in the province of Bubanza in the west. Both provinces border South Kivu.

The UNHCR warns that the situation may worsen. Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, head of UNHCR in Burundi, reports that the flow of refugees continues to increase daily.

“About 6,000 families already here need urgent assistance, which requires increased mobilization of authorities and humanitarian organizations,” she announced.

The Burundian government has reaffirmed its commitment to respecting international conventions on the protection of refugees.

A monitoring body will be set up to manage asylum applications and coordinate assistance with the UNHCR. In addition, recently arrived refugees will be moved to the Musenyi site, in the southeastern province of Rutana not far from the border with Tanzania, in order to better organize their reception and care, according to Burundian authorities.

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New Congolese refugees received in Cibitoke province in northwestern Burundi, February 2025 (SOS Médias Burundi)