Bujumbura : wave of arrests and expulsions sow panic among Congolese students and the Banyamulenge community

The war ravaging the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), involving the M23, accused of being supported by the Rwandan army, and Congolese armed forces allied with local groups and the Burundian army, has caused panic in Burundi, particularly targeting Congolese students and members of the Banyamulenge community, whether refugees or not. The increase in arrests, especially during the last weekend in Bujumbura, the commercial city, and the recent expulsions of refugees from camps residing in urban areas to different centers in the interior of the country have plunged these populations into deep panic.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The arrests that occurred especially on Saturday, February 15, have created a visible feeling of insecurity. Several Congolese students have been arrested without a clear explanation, leaving their classmates worried for their safety.

“I heard that friends have been arrested and put in vans and sent back to their country while the war continues to escalate in our province. It’s terrifying. We demand that our embassy do something,” said a Congolese student. He is from the South Kivu province in eastern Congo, whose capital was recaptured by M23 rebels last Friday.

“We came here to study, not to be treated like criminals,” he insists.

Aristide, a student at the Lumière University in Bujumbura, one of the oldest private universities that welcomes students from neighboring countries including Rwanda and the DRC, testifies : “Yesterday, my brother was arrested on his way to the University. He had his student card and all his migration documents in order. Security agents gave him no explanation before taking him away. God willing, he was released in the evening. It was shocking to see this happen. We tried to ask for information, but no one would listen to us. This is a situation that leaves us very worried about our security,” young Aristide spoke to SOS Médias Burundi on Sunday.

Jean, a member of the Banyamulenge community, adds, “We are accused of being Tutsis, like the M23 rebels, and we are suspected of being spies for Rwanda because of our Rwandan ancestry. It is unfair! Some of us are not refugees, others are, and we are all apolitical. We are under the security of Burundi. How can we be judged as a source of insecurity? We are first and foremost human beings who want to live in peace. These arrests remind us of the darkest hours of our history.”

Other Congolese who recently fled to Burundi, including those who lived in the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu taken by M23 rebels on January 27, were also arrested by Burundian services, sent to clandestine dungeons before being released. These events also occurred last weekend in the commercial capital.

“Some were saved by medical certificates they were carrying,” we learned.

Eraste testifies : “We are going through difficult times. Lately, travel for refugees has become increasingly difficult. At the slightest gesture, we are arrested, especially when it concerns a member of the Banyamulenge community. We are accused of being Tutsis, they say that we have the same origins as the president of Rwanda and the M23 rebels. Our families are stigmatized, and many of our young people are arrested without valid reason. Hate speech on social media puts us in danger. We need protection.”

Many refugees residing in Bujumbura and originating from the camps have started returning to their respective sites, while those with urban refugee status are living in extreme panic.

Students from the DRC have alerted their embassy in Burundi and the Burundian government about their safety.

The situation of Congolese students and Congolese refugees, particularly members of the Banyamulenge community in Burundi, is increasingly precarious.

The war that is ravaging the east of the vast central African country, including the province of South Kivu, which borders Burundi, and the involvement of the FDNB (Burundi National Defense Force) in this conflict have exacerbated tensions, plunging the Burundian population and foreigners residing in Burundi into a climate of fear and uncertainty. An intervention by the international community and political will from the Burundian government could ease tensions and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.

Most of the people who were arrested last weekend have been released. But several Congolese people, especially living abroad, have expressed concerns on social media about this situation, believing that “Burundian authorities are also abandoning us in these difficult times.”

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Several Congolese including students in a police truck that takes them to a dungeon in the commercial capital Bujumbura, February 15, 2025, DR