Bujumbura : young people humiliated and searched by police and Imbonerakure, arbitrarily accused of being “M23 rebels”

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, February 23, 2026 – In downtown Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital, young people are denouncing arbitrary and humiliating backpack checks by police in front of the former market, at a place commonly known as “Bata.” According to them, these systematic searches, which force them to open and justify the contents of their bags, are aimed at labeling them “M23 rebels,” creating a climate of intimidation and fear.

Imbonerakure involvement

Some young Imbonerakure, members of the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party, stationed near the market, systematically intervene whenever a young person is arrested, surrounding them and reinforcing the intimidation tactic.

“The police arrested me around 9:00 a.m. They told me I looked like an M23 rebel and forced me to open my bag. They found nothing but clothes,” recounts a young witness.

Young people who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi are asking the government to respect their right to freedom of movement and to stop labeling the population as rebels, given that the country is experiencing relative peace.

Tense regional context

The M23, composed primarily of Congolese Tutsis, is affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), which advocates for a federal state in the DRC. The coalition controls several strategic areas in North and South Kivu, including Goma and Bukavu, as well as the Rubaya mining site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, a strategic mineral used in the electronics industry and new technologies. In some situations, the coalition against the M23 also includes the FDLR, accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

Despite the Washington Agreement of December 4, 2025, between the DRC and Rwanda, hostilities continue. Burundi participated as an observer, represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

Between August 2022 and December 2025, the small east African nation deployed more than 29,000 troops to eastern Congo to support the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the local Wazalendo militias against the M23. Congolese authorities accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23, while Kigali denounces the alleged support of the DRC and Burundi for the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda). Despite repeated denials from Kigali, a report by the UN Group of Experts confirmed in December 2025 the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23.

These clashes continue to force thousands of families to flee to neighboring countries. The small east African nation received more than 100,000 Congolese refugees between December 2025 and January 2026, in addition to more than 70,000 who had arrived in the country earlier in the year.

In December 2025, several Congolese refugees, primarily from the Banyamulenge minority, were targeted in police raids, suspected of collaborating with the M23 or Rwanda. A directive from the Burundian Ministry of the Interior and Security still prohibits the rental of housing and hotels to Congolese refugees, under penalty of sanctions. To date, no spokesperson for the Burundi National Police (PNB) has commented on these allegations.