The political leader of M23, Bertrand Bisiimwa, issued a stern warning to Burundian troops operating in South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), urging them to return to their country. He warned that those fighting for their rights “have nothing to lose.”
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He made these remarks during a press briefing in Goma on Sunday, where he also spoke about the current situation in the areas under M23 control, following the group’s renewed military campaign aimed at defending the rights of people in eastern DRC.
M23 continues to expand its controlled territory, including parts of Goma City and its outskirts in North Kivu, as well as other areas in South Kivu near Bukavu.
These operations are gradually reshaping the region, especially as Burundian troops allied with the DRC government forces, FDLR, and Wazalendo militias continue to fight in the Uvira highlands, particularly in Rugezi, Fizi Territory.
Bisiimwa stated that Burundi has never held talks with M23 and instead supports military operations against the group in collaboration with rebel forces such as the FDLR.
He said: “There are many FDLR fighters near the border regrouping to attack us. That’s where the attacks are coming from. The Burundian army is entering our territory and killing civilians. This is not what we want.”
Bisiimwa clarified that M23 does not have issues with Rwandans or Burundians as people, but rather with the leaders sending troops to kill civilians. He also accused the DRC’s intelligence services of actively operating in Uvira, providing targeting information for drone strikes in civilian-populated areas.
He recalled the region’s history of resistance against injustice, saying that Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye himself once admitted to him that the M23’s struggle resembles that of his own CNDD-FDD party.
He said: “He told me their war was driven by a fight against injustice. So why is he now doing what he once fought against? Museveni, Kagame, Ndayishimiye, all of them rose to power after resisting marginalization. Why are they now siding with oppressors?”
Bisiimwa asserted that M23 has no interest in Burundi and is operating within its own country. He emphasized that the only meaningful path forward is dialogue with the Kinshasa government, warning that foreign military deployments only add more suffering to war-torn populations.
He stated: “Burundi should focus on its own problems. What we ask of them is simple: leave our territory.”
Recent fighting in the Uvira highlands between M23 and the DRC government forces backed by Burundians, FDLR, and Wazalendo has been intensifying. Bisiimwa described it as a struggle for survival and for the protection of the rights of local populations.
He said: “When people are marginalized, they have nothing to lose. They fight with everything they have just to survive. That is what we are doing.”
This warning from M23 comes at a time when Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye was on a visit to Kinshasa, where he met with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi. What was discussed in that meeting could have significant implications for the future of this conflict.
