Border crisis : Congolese stranded in Bujumbura after the fall of Uvira

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, December 14, 2025 — Dozens of Congolese from Uvira and the surrounding area have been stranded in Bujumbura since the sudden closure of the Gatumba border crossing on Wednesday, December 10, the day after Uvira fell to the M23 rebels. Many had entered Burundi legally for medical treatment, business, travel, or family visits and are now unable to reach their loved ones in the DRC.

While the security situation remains extremely tense in South Kivu, many other Congolese continue to flee the war. They are leaving the towns of Makoboro, Lusenda, Mboko, and Baraka, in the territories of Uvira and Fizi, seeking refuge in Burundi, notably by crossing Lake Tanganyika, which has become one of the few remaining accessible crossings.

Separated families and distraught individuals

Among those stranded is Samuel, a resident of Uvira who came to Bujumbura for medical treatment. He recounts his distress :

“I came to Bujumbura for medical care. When I learned that the situation was worsening in Uvira, I decided to return to my wife and children. Upon arriving in Gatumba, the Burundian agents told me clearly that the border was closed and that I had to return to Bujumbura. I stood there, speechless. I don’t even know if my family is safe.”

Kituza, a small shopkeeper from Uvira, was also turned back when he tried to reach his family :

“The police told me everything was closed and that I had to go back to Bujumbura. I explained that my family is in Uvira, that the situation remains critical, and that I need to be with them. If we die, let us die together, and if we recover, let us recover together. But nothing has changed. Today, I’m sleeping in a makeshift shelter; I don’t know what to do or how to survive here.”

Despite the daily arrival of new people, no clear transit or return system is in place for those who wish to return to the DRC. The Gatumba border crossing remains closed for security reasons, according to Burundian authorities. Between Friday, December 5, and Thursday, December 11, Burundi had already received more than 40,000 people fleeing the violence in just one week.

Those who crossed the Gatumba border post before its closure are received in the courtyard of the Gatumba brigade, a site ill-equipped to handle such a large influx. Those who entered through other border crossings are directed to various transit sites throughout the country. This massive influx adds to the more than 100,000 Congolese already present in Burundi, some of whom have lived there for over twenty years.

Regional context and security implications

The city of Uvira, which fell to the M23 on the night of December 9-10, is located just a few kilometers from Bujumbura. For nearly three decades, the eastern DRC has been the scene of a near-constant escalation of armed conflict, involving a multitude of rebel groups.

Reactivated in 2021, the M23, composed primarily of Congolese Tutsis, controls several strategic locations in North and South Kivu. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the movement, while Rwanda denounces the alleged support of the DRC and Burundi for the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Burundi, for its part, has deployed more than 10,000 soldiers to the DRC since 2023 to support the FARDC and the local Wazalendo militias, further complicating the situation.

In this context, traditional supply, trade, and population routes between Uvira and Bujumbura have been disrupted, exacerbating the humanitarian and security crises on both sides of the border. The closure of the Gatumba border crossing illustrates the extent of the fighting’s regional impact and the difficulty Burundi faces in simultaneously managing national security and the massive influx of people fleeing the violence.