Nakivale (Uganda) : ethnic tensions divide Burundian refugee churches

SOS Médias Burundi

Nakivale, April 20, 2025 – Ethnic divisions are causing concern in several Burundian refugee churches in the Nakivale camp in southwestern Uganda. Two churches have already officially split, raising fears of escalating tensions between Hutu and Tutsi worshippers.

Among the most emblematic cases is that of the Baptist church located in the “Base Camp” area. According to worshippers, the differences have crystallized around the sharing of religious leadership.

“Hutu pastors don’t want to collaborate with their Tutsi peers, or vice versa. And this deeply affects us spiritually and communally,” laments a member of this church.

A conflict taking a worrying turn

The latest incident involves the ousting of a Hutu choir leader. The man and several members of the same community left the main church to found a dissident branch. “Today, Christians are divided into two camps based on ethnicity. Each follows their pastor in parallel groups. We fear this could escalate into acts of violence,” several refugees confided.

The disputes have been brought before the local police and the camp administration. According to a source close to the situation, measures to suspend or temporarily close certain churches are being considered to prevent “public order disturbances.”

Calls for calm and responsibility

Burundian community leaders are calling for restraint. “We are here as refugees; we should rely on our faith to build unity, not to stir up divisions,” insisted a refugee representative. He urges the faithful to return to “the love of God, which does not distinguish between ethnicity, race, or nationality.”

Nakivale hosts more than 140,000 refugees, including approximately 33,000 Burundians. They gather in about ten Christian congregations. The Ugandan administration and religious leaders are called upon to take an active role in defusing the crisis before it becomes more serious.

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Part of the Nakivale camp in Uganda (SOS Médias Burundi)