Bukinanyana – Violent clashes in Kibira : at least 12 FLN rebels killed by the Burundian army

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, May 30, 2025 – A large-scale operation conducted by the Burundi National Defense Forces (FDNB) in the natural forest of Kibira, on the border with Rwanda, resulted in violent clashes with armed elements of the National Liberation Front (FLN). The provisional death toll indicates that at least 12 rebels were killed, including their presumed leader, according to military sources.

The operation took place on May 21 in the town of Kiruhura, Ndora zone, Bukinanyana district, in Cibitoke province (northwestern Burundi). According to officers on the ground, the operation was launched following targeted intelligence, allowing Burundian troops to surprise the rebels.

“The assault was planned based on reliable intelligence. The rebel group was returning from a forced food collection in the neighboring hills,” confided a soldier on condition of anonymity.

In addition to the twelve rebels neutralized, ten others were injured, some seriously, and five were taken prisoner. The Burundian army also reported seizing twelve weapons, including three high-caliber weapons. One Burundian soldier was killed and three others were slightly injured.

The FLN, an armed group opposing the Rwandan regime, is accused of multiple abuses in the border areas, including looting, kidnappings, and intimidation of civilians. Many residents of the region, fed up with the violence, fled to the urban centers of Mabayi and Bukinanyana.

The military command described this operation as a “tactical success” and announced an intensification of security efforts in the most exposed areas of Kibira, a forest massif known to harbor various armed groups.

In the midst of the pre-election period, the district administrator of Bukinanyana declined to comment on the operation, but called on the population to remain “calm and vigilant” ahead of the legislative and district elections scheduled for June 5.

The situation in the Kibira natural reserve, which extends into the Nyungwe forest in Rwanda, illustrates the persistent security fragility of this border region, despite the efforts of Burundian authorities to restore order.

In recent years, several administration officials, CNDD-FDD officials, and traders close to the ruling party have been arrested and jailed for collaborating with Rwandan armed groups, including the FLN. The latter are also accused of illegal mining practices, particularly gold mining, in this remote forested area.