War in eastern DRC : Burundi redeploys troops to Kalemie as Congolese exodus intensifies

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, January 9, 2026 – A new redeployment of Burundian soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was observed between December 29, 2025, and January 4, 2026, according to several concurring security sources. This operation comes amid extremely tense regional tensions, marked by the gradual collapse of Congolese defense lines in the face of the M23 rebel movement’s advance in the east of the country.

According to information gathered by SOS Médias Burundi, these Burundian troops are being deployed to support forces engaged against the M23 and to reinforce security in areas deemed strategic, particularly in the Fizi territory (Bibokoboko, Point Zéro, Milimba) and in Tanganyika province, especially the city of Kalemie, the provincial capital.

Discreet departures from the fishing port of Rumonge

The redeployment took place from the Burundian navy’s position near the fishing port of Rumonge, a strategic port city in southwestern Burundi on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. According to police and military sources, approximately ten military vehicles and logistical transport vehicles carrying Burundian soldiers were mobilized starting Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

The movements were carried out primarily at night, in the early hours, to avoid detection. A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, specified that this operation was preceded by a maritime repatriation phase conducted by the Burundian navy.

The previous week, Burundian boats twice transported elements of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) as well as Wazalendo fighters who had taken refuge in Burundian military positions, notably at the lake brigade commonly known as the “Chinese camp” and at the Gatumba brigade, in western Burundi, not far from the border with the DRC. These Congolese forces were transported by boat to Kalemie from the Burundian naval position located near the international port of Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital.

A redeployment after a partial withdrawal

Several security sources emphasize that these new troop movements come after a withdrawal of a large portion of the Burundian military in December 2025, following the M23’s dramatic advances in South Kivu and the losses suffered by the FDNB (Burundi National Defense Force).

Recently, the Secretary General of the CNDD-FDD, the former Hutu rebel group that has been in power in Burundi since 2005, referred to a “strategic withdrawal,” asserting that Burundi remained in control of its military decisions.

“It’s like at home, we go when we want,” declared Révérien Ndikuriyo, illustrating the assertive and proactive stance of the Burundian authorities in this regional conflict.

Resumption of Burundian deployment on December 30, 2025

Following the return of repatriated Congolese soldiers, a new movement of Burundian troops toward the DRC was observed on December 30, 2025. Soldiers were transported to Rumonge in several military vehicles before joining the Burundian naval base at the fishing port.

Other soldiers were assembled at Vyizigiro Stadium, also in the southwest, in Mbuga, and then embarked on military vessels. Fast patrol boats from the Burundian navy were also mobilized to support this maritime transport, illustrating the logistical importance of this operation.

According to a military source contacted, the main objective is to reinforce two Burundian battalions that have remained isolated in mountainous areas of eastern DRC, as the military pressure from the M23 continues to intensify.

Kalemie, a new strategic stronghold

Burundian security authorities are thus seeking to prevent the potential fall of Kalemie, considered a strategic stronghold in Tanganyika. This fear is heightened by the recent fall of Uvira, located just a few kilometers from Bujumbura, which until now had been the economic heart of the small east African nation, particularly for cross-border trade.

The loss of Uvira has profoundly altered the security and economic balances of the region, directly exposing Burundi to the repercussions of the Congolese conflict, both in terms of security and humanitarian needs, with a growing influx of Congolese refugees towards Rumonge and other riverside localities.

A massive and documented Burundian military commitment

According to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Security, consulted by SOS Médias Burundi in December 2025, Burundi deployed more than 29,000 soldiers on the Congolese soil between August 2022 and December 2025. These soldiers are fighting alongside the FARDC, the Congolese loyalist army, and the Wazalendo militias, supported by Kinshasa, against the M23.

The same document indicates that approximately 10,000 Burundian soldiers remain deployed in eastern DRC. In some areas, this coalition also includes fighters from the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

The M23, the AFC, and cross accusations

Reactivated in 2021, the M23, composed mainly of Congolese Tutsis, is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The AFC/M23 now controls several strategic areas in North and South Kivu, including Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals, as well as the Rubaya mining site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits.

This strategic mineral provides a significant portion of the world’s tantalum, essential to the electronics industry and new technologies. The AFC/M23 is advocating for the establishment of a federal state in the DRC.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23, while Rwanda denounces the alleged support of the DRC and Burundi for the FDLR. Despite Rwandan denials, a report by the UN Group of Experts mentions the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside AFC/M23 fighters.

Failed diplomacy and
human cost

On the ground, clashes continue despite the Washington Agreement, signed on December 4, 2025, between the DRC and Rwanda under the US mediation, confirming the failure of diplomatic initiatives. Burundi participated in this agreement as an observer, represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

In this conflict with its many regional ramifications, Burundian soldiers continue to pay a heavy price, often in the shadows and in silence, while the Great Lakes region sinks deeper into lasting instability with major human, security, and geopolitical consequences.

Growing humanitarian pressure

The ongoing hostilities in eastern DRC continue to force thousands of families to flee to neighboring countries. Burundi alone took in approximately 90,000 Congolese refugees in December alone, adding to more than 70,000 refugees already received earlier in the year, thus intensifying the humanitarian pressure on the small east African nation.