Burundi–DRC : Gatumba–Kavimvira border remains closed, hopes dashed

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, February 2, 2026 – The hopes of many Congolese and Burundians, who were awaiting the reopening of the Gatumba–Kavimvira border crossing, have been brutally dashed. Burundian authorities have announced the continued closure of this strategic border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), citing the persistence of serious security threats in eastern DRC.

The announcement was made during a meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Cooperation, held in Bujumbura, in the presence of representatives of partner countries and international organizations accredited to Burundi. At this meeting, the Burundian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Édouard Bizimana, declared that the Burundi-Congo border will remain closed until further notice.

Speaking about the security situation in eastern DRC, the Burundian Foreign Minister asserted that the M23 is lying when it claims to have withdrawn from the city of Uvira. According to him, this apparent withdrawal masks a strategy of regrouping and repositioning its fighters.

“Therefore, those announcing the imminent reopening of the border are spreading completely unfounded information,” he stated.

Minister Édouard Bizimana also mentioned the presence of Burundian armed groups operating in the DRC, notably Red-Tabara and elements of the National Liberation Forces (FNL) of self-proclaimed General Aloys Nzabampema. These groups have reportedly been sighted near the Burundian border, in the Rusizi Plain, raising serious security concerns. Authorities say they intend to thoroughly assess the risks after observing attempts by armed individuals to infiltrate Burundi.

A broken promise

This statement comes a few days after a highly anticipated announcement by the governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi. The previous Friday, after crossing the border, he had assured the population in Uvira—the province’s provisional capital—that the Burundi-Congo border would be reopened within two to three days, by January 30, 2026, at the latest.

This promise had sparked immense relief among Congolese citizens stranded in Burundi, refugees who had fled the violence and were living in extremely precarious humanitarian conditions, as well as economic actors whose cross-border activities had been paralyzed.

In Bujumbura, Aimé, a Congolese man stranded for several weeks, expressed his disappointment :

“I had already packed my things to return to Uvira. My family is waiting for me there. When the reopening was announced, I regained hope. Today, this news has completely crushed me.” We are asking at least that those who want to return home be allowed to pass through.”

Like him, hundreds of Congolese remain stranded in Burundi for reasons of trade, study, or medical treatment, with no idea when they will be able to return.

UNHCR’s warning

At the same meeting, the UNHCR representative in Burundi, Brigitte Mkanga-Eno, raised the alarm about the humanitarian funding shortfall. Of the $33 million needed to meet urgent needs, only $6 million has been mobilized to date.

“This amount is woefully inadequate, particularly for healthcare, hygiene, and access to clean water,” she emphasized.

Musa, a Congolese refugee who arrived on December 8, 2025, describes a daily life marked by distress :

“We are living in hunger and precarious shelters. We had started to hope again after the announcements in Uvira. Today, the disappointment is complete.”

An explosive regional context

The Gatumba–Kavimvira border was closed on December 10, 2025, after Uvira fell to the M23. Composed primarily of Congolese Tutsis, the M23 is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The coalition controls several strategic areas in North and South Kivu, including Goma and Bukavu, as well as key mining areas, notably the Rubaya site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, supplying a significant portion of the tantalum used in the electronics industry and new technologies. The AFC advocates for the establishment of a federal state in the DRC.

Since December 2025, Burundi has hosted more than 100,000 Congolese refugees, while other Congolese remain stranded within its borders. According to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior consulted by SOS Médias Burundi, the small east African nation deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern DRC between August 2022 and December 2025 to support the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the Wazalendo militias. Some of the troops were withdrawn in December 2025 before being redeployed again.

The anti-M23 coalition also includes the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23, while Rwanda accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR. A report by the UN Group of Experts indicates the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23 rebels, although Kigali rejects these accusations.

Despite the Washington Agreement, signed on December 4, 2025, under the US mediation between the DRC and Rwanda, clashes continue on the ground. Burundi, a signatory as an observer, was represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

In this climate of security instability and increasing humanitarian pressure, the reopening of the Gatumba–Kavimvira border remains suspended, leaving thousands of people in a state of waiting, anxiety, and uncertainty.