The Imbonerakure, the youth wing of Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD party, were trained at the Makamba military camp. They originate from regions including Kabarore, Bukinanyana, Mabayi, Mugina, and Rugombo, formerly part of Cibitoke Province in northwestern Burundi.
The FLN operates mainly in South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Kibira Forest in Burundi. Both groups are said to collaborate in operations targeting the Rwandan government, particularly in Minembwe and other parts of Fizi Territory.
Between 2018 and 2019, the FLN launched a series of attacks in southwestern Rwanda, killing and injuring civilians and destroying property, including vehicles. These assaults were reportedly launched from bases in the Kibira Forest, where the group had been hosted by Burundian authorities.
According to credible reports, FLN fighters operating in the Kidote area of Lemera Group, Uvira Territory, recently received over 200 Imbonerakure members under the command of Colonel Fabien Mukeshimana, also known as Kamayi. Another 200 recruits were reportedly dispatched to Lubarika in Uvira, where they joined FLN units led by Major General Dieudonné Hategekimana, alias Théophile.
In mid-August 2025, Burundian military intelligence officials are said to have met Major General Hategekimana, urging him to collaborate with them and the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) in Uvira and other areas bordering Rwanda. Sources indicate that the FLN commander was assured the cooperation would lead to financial and logistical support from the DRC government.
A senior Burundian intelligence officer alleged that both President Ndayishimiye and his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza had long supported the FDLR and FLN, citing ideological alignment rooted in ethnic animosity.
“Ndayishimiye and Nkurunziza supported FDLR and FLN because they shared the ideology of hating the Tutsi,” the officer said. “The ruling CNDD-FDD party still promotes this tribalist agenda and believes supporting these groups can destabilise Rwanda’s FPR-led government.”
Burundian photojournalist Teddy Mazina echoed similar sentiments during an August 2025 interview on The Long Form, asserting that the CNDD-FDD and the FDLR share a long-standing anti-Tutsi ideology, which underpins their cooperation.
Mazina said that under Ndayishimiye’s administration, the Burundian government has allowed FDLR elements to operate freely — providing them with resources and enabling them to trade, settle, and organise within the country. He further recalled that during the May 2015 coup attempt against Nkurunziza, FDLR fighters from the DRC reportedly intervened to defend his government.
“We have FDLR in Bujumbura,” Mazina said. “There is testimony that they came to defend Nkurunziza’s government when the coup failed. Cooperation has never stopped. In Bujumbura, there are Rwandans identifying as FDLR civilians who have lived in Burundi since 2010, owning many shops. The money they make from Congo flows into Burundi.”
Reports further indicate that around 20,000 Burundian troops are currently stationed in South Kivu Province, particularly in Uvira Territory, maintaining active coordination with the FDLR and facilitating the movement of leaders from both groups between Bujumbura and other locations.
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