{"id":52663,"date":"2025-01-17T10:10:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T10:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/burundi-confirms-soldier-losses-in-drc-clashes\/"},"modified":"2025-01-19T11:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-19T11:21:21","slug":"burundi-confirms-soldier-losses-in-drc-clashes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/burundi-confirms-soldier-losses-in-drc-clashes\/","title":{"rendered":"Burundi confirms soldier losses in DRC clashes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>During a press briefing on January 16, 2025, Brigadier General Baratuza acknowledged the losses, stating: \u201cDeath is possible because they are not exchanging flowers at war. That is what they signed up for. Even in a bathroom, one can slip and fall to their death. On the battlefield, we say they have fallen with honor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The statement came in response to reports of heavy casualties during clashes with the M23 rebel group in Ngungu, Masisi Territory, on January 14. <\/p>\n<p>Allegations have surfaced accusing the Burundian government of concealing information about the fatalities, reportedly transporting bodies to hospital morgues in Bujumbura under secrecy before burial.<\/p>\n<p>While some reports suggest that around 200 Burundian soldiers were killed in Ngungu, Brigadier General Baratuza characterized these figures as exaggerated.<\/p>\n<p>The M23 rebel group has previously shown captured Burundian soldiers in their custody, with some pleading for international assistance to return home. <\/p>\n<p>However, in December 2023, Burundi\u2019s President Evariste Ndayishimiye denied these claims, stating that the individuals in question were not Burundian soldiers but members of the RED Tabara rebel group. <\/p>\n<p>This statement drew criticism, with families of the captured soldiers confirming their identities as members of the Burundian national army.<\/p>\n<p>Burundian troops have been deployed in North Kivu province since November 2023 under an agreement signed between the Burundian and DRC governments in August the same year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-80379\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/barat-2-754ab.jpg\" alt=\"The spokesperson for Burundi\u2019s military, Brigadier General Gaspard Baratuza, has confirmed the deaths of Burundian soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The spokesperson for Burundi\u2019s military, Brigadier General Gaspard Baratuza, has confirmed the deaths of Burundian soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), emphasizing the reality of combat situations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000080378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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