Burundi : thousands of Congolese refugees left behind, while some teachers return to the DRC

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura/Ruyigi, February 5, 2026 – On Thursday, February 5, sixty-five Congolese refugee teachers, residing in the commercial capital Bujumbura, a few kilometers from the city of Uvira, were repatriated under escort to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) via the Kavimvira border crossing in the Uvira territory of South Kivu province in eastern Congo. This controlled return, while welcomed, highlights the enormous frustration of the thousands of other refugees still sheltered at the Busuma camp, located in the district of Ruyigi, Buhumuza province in eastern Burundi, living in difficult conditions and with complete uncertainty about their future.

Busuma : a camp divided between hope and caution

The Busuma camp currently hosts more than 70,000 refugees who fled the fighting in South Kivu between December 9, 2025, and January 10, 2026. Since then, no new large-scale influx has been recorded, according to local authorities.

According to several accounts, the humanitarian situation is gradually improving, particularly in terms of food assistance and social services. Some refugees also note a positive development in security in South Kivu following the withdrawal of AFC-M23 troops from several localities.

“The governor has already returned to Uvira, which fuels hope for a gradual return to normalcy,” they explain.

A segment in favor of return

The refugees in favor of repatriation are primarily students whose education was interrupted by their exile. Some fled while in their final year of high school, while others fear losing their academic years.

In addition to these groups, there are business owners worried about their businesses collapsing, civil servants wishing to return to their positions within the Congolese administration, and widows of soldiers seeking to claim the salaries and benefits of their deceased husbands.

“The longer we wait, the greater the risk of receiving nothing,” they confide.

Orphans and young people separated from their families also express their desire to rejoin their loved ones who remained in the DRC. Religious leaders wish to return to gather their congregations and resume their pastoral activities, which were interrupted by their exile.

Administrative obstacles

Refugees who favor returning, however, face bureaucratic delays and a lack of coordination from the National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA). Some accuse their compatriots opposed to repatriation of being, on the one hand, fearful young people and, on the other hand, people hoping for resettlement in Europe or the United States. These tensions are exacerbating divisions within the refugee community.

Fiacre Nkunzimana, coordinator of the Busuma, Bwagiriza, Nyankanda, and Kavumu camps, explains :

“Some refugees are not yet permanently registered. Others travel back and forth within the region, or even leave the camp clandestinely, at their own risk. It is important to wait for them to receive their refugee cards for a voluntary, well-coordinated, and dignified repatriation.”

The administrator of the Ruyigi district, Diane Niyibitanga, warned :

“Anyone involved in riots or clandestine movements, as well as any transporter who facilitated these movements, will be severely punished in accordance with the Burundian law.”

Those who prefer to stay

Other refugees fear a resumption of hostilities in DR Congo and prefer to wait for a lasting stabilization of the security situation before deciding whether to return.

Supervised return of teachers from Bujumbura

The repatriation of teachers from Bujumbura to Uvira aims to gradually restart school activities and allow classes to resume normally in South Kivu province. However, more than 100,000 refugees, mostly children and women, remain in Burundian camps and transit centers, leaving many teachers, students, and government employees in limbo.”

A refugee teacher speaks out :

“We were overjoyed to welcome back our colleagues, but why are those in the camps being forgotten? We also want to return voluntarily to resume our work. The prolonged wait is affecting our morale. We demand a safe and dignified return for everyone to ensure our children’s education.”

For parents of graduating students, the concern is even greater. Zacharie, a parent of a student, says :

“My child is in his final year of secondary school. He was supposed to take the state exams this year, but because of the exodus, he is here without any options. We don’t know what the UNHCR and the Congolese government intend to do to allow our children to take these national exams. The preliminary exams begin on February 14th, and so far, we haven’t received any clear information. We are requesting a humanitarian corridor to facilitate a voluntary return so that our children can continue their studies and we can return home. Why are we being kept here?” This brings us nothing but serving the interests of others, while the future of our children is at stake.”

Regional security context

The Busuma camp hosts refugees who fled the violence in South Kivu in December 2025. The fighting pitted the FARDC, supported by Burundian troops and the Wazalendo militia, against the M23 rebels, predominantly Congolese Tutsis and now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC).

The coalition against the M23 also includes the FDLR, accused of crimes related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. The AFC, led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), controls several strategic areas, including Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of the two Kivus, and the Rubaya mining site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, supplying a significant portion of the world’s tantalum used in the electronics industry and new technologies.

According to the Congolese Ministry of the Interior, Burundi deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern DRC between August 2022 and December 2025. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23, while Rwanda accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR. The UN Group of Experts confirms the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23.

Despite the Washington Agreement signed on December 4, 2025, between the DRC and Rwanda under the US mediation, clashes persist. Burundi is bound by this agreement as an observer, represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

Between hope and caution

While awaiting concrete decisions from the Congolese and Burundian governments, with the support of UNHCR and humanitarian partners, the refugees of Busuma remain torn between the hope of a gradual return and the fear of a premature departure to an area still fragile in terms of security.