Cibitoke: when Imbonerakure military exercises frighten the population

Heavy and light weapons fire was heard this Wednesday on Cishemere hill separating the communes of Buganda and Rugombo, less than 5 kilometers from the provincial capital of Cibitoke (northwest of Burundi). Residents near this locality say they were frightened when seeing the huge crowd of Imbonerakure (members of the youth league of the CNDD-FDD party) brandishing their weapons. The commander of the 112th infantry battalion of Cibitoke confirms that there was military training which he had even announced to the population on March 3. But he did not disclose the information about the training of members of the presidential party’s youth league. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Columns of young people from the CNDD-FDD party were observed by residents this Wednesday.

Wearing hoods, these Imbonerakure were called to conduct the last weapons handling session, say our sources within the CNDD-FDD youth.

Reports of heavy and light weapons were heard throughout the morning, residents said.

This caused panic among residents who did not go about their daily activities.

“Most of residents near this Cishemere shooting range site chose to flee to the provincial capital. They did not go to the fields,” say those concerned.

According to a military source, these young people from the presidential party come from the Kayanza, Bubanza, Cibitoke and Bujumbura provinces in the northwest of the country “and are selected for their cold-bloodedness.”

The same source indicates that they should be deployed to Congo very soon.

An Imbonerakure leader who testified on condition of anonymity confirmed to SOS Médias Burundi that “we had just spent two weeks at the military training center in Mudubugu (Bubanza province)”.

He affirms that “we will be sent to the DRC as reinforcements to support our soldiers on the battlefield”.

Contacted Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Nahishakiye, the commander of the 112th infantry battalion of Cibitoke confirmed that military training took place in Cishemere this Wednesday.

He specifies that the residents had been informed of this activity. SOS Médias Burundi saw a circular that the officer had written to this effect last Monday. He spoke of training reserved for elements of the FDNB (Burundi National Defense Force) without commenting too much.

The Burundian authorities and representatives of the former Hutu rebellion have always denied allegations that the Imbonerakure accompany the army in Congo to fight alongside the FARDC against the M23 in North Kivu and dislodge the armed group of Burundian origin. Red-Tabara based in South Kivu and considered by the Burundian authorities as a terrorist movement.

Recently, the secretary general of the CNDD-FDD, Révérien Ndikuriyo, yet recognized that “we have requested land where we can carry out community development work in Congo”, confirming “that there is no problem to privilege the Imbonerakure when the time to settle on Congolese soil comes.”