M23 war : Imbonerakure returning from the DRC speak of betrayal

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 12, 2025 – Eight months after leaving to fight alongside the FARDC against the M23 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, several young Imbonerakure say they have received neither the promised bonus nor the assistance. These bitter returns are worrying local communities.

These members of the youth league of the ruling CNDD-FDD party claim to have been recruited by the Burundian army with the promise of US$500 each and food assistance.

“We were supposed to receive this amount and be fed on site, but everything fell through,” said a young man met in the Buganda zone.

Before their departure, these recruits reportedly underwent three days of rapid military training in a forest camp and on sports fields. Their families were guaranteed compensation in the event of their death. Yet, according to several accounts, no support has been provided to the families of fallen fighters, and they have sometimes even been denied the opportunity to mourn.

A contested but documented commitment

For more than five years, Imbonerakure have accompanied Burundian soldiers in the DRC, first to hunt down two armed groups of Burundian origin in South Kivu, and then, since 2023, to fight alongside the FARDC and the Wazalendo militias against the M23. This Tutsi rebel movement took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing Kinshasa of not respecting reintegration agreements.

While Gitega acknowledges the presence of the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB) in the DRC, it denies any deployment of Imbonerakure. However, SOS Médias Burundi has documented several cases of young people killed on the Congolese front whose families have never received compensation.

Fear of increased insecurity

Without resources, these former combatants are returning to areas already affected by poverty and unemployment, fueling fears of an upsurge in thefts and assaults.

When interviewed, a high-ranking officer based in the area where the Imbonerakure gather before their deployment claimed to be “unaware of anything” about their presence in the DRC. However, he warned :

“Anyone who commits a crime will be punished according to the law.”