Amb. Nduhungirehe made the remarks on Thursday during a press briefing in Kigali alongside European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib.
Burundi’s President, Évariste Ndayishimiye, recently assumed the rotating chairmanship of the African Union during the bloc’s 38th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa.
Ndayishimiye took office at a time when Burundian troops were engaged in military operations in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo alongside the Congolese army coalition, FARDC. The African Union, which he now chairs, is also involved in facilitating dialogue between Rwanda and the DRC over the conflict in that region.
Beyond the fighting in eastern Congo, tensions between Rwanda and Burundi remain strained, largely due to Rwanda’s concerns over Burundi’s alleged cooperation with the FDLR terrorist group.
Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, Minister Nduhungirehe acknowledged that Rwanda and Burundi are neighboring states and both members of the East African Community, but said that relations remain strained.
“As you know, Burundi closed borders with Rwanda. And also, which is more worrying, Burundi is involved in a conflict in eastern DRC in a negative way, because it has imposed a blockade against the Banyamulenge in Minembwe, preventing them from accessing markets, which aggravates the humanitarian situation,” he stated.
In that context, Amb. Nduhungirehe said Burundi’s involvement in mediation would be inappropriate.
“Although it has accessed the AU chairmanship, it is difficult for Burundi to get involved in mediation. We have a mediation of Togo, mandated by the African Union, with five facilitators. We believe that those facilitators and the mediators should continue their work of supporting the parties in implementing the Washington Agreement without the involvement of Burundi, which is a party to this conflict,” he added.
Relations between Rwanda and Burundi have deteriorated in recent years. On January 11, 2024, Burundi closed all border crossings with Rwanda, accusing Kigali of supporting the RED Tabara rebel group, an allegation Rwanda has repeatedly denied. Tensions further escalated amid claims that Burundi has cooperated with the FDLR in the eastern DRC conflict.
In July 2024, officials from Rwanda and Burundi met in Zanzibar during a retreat of foreign affairs ministers from East African Community member states, where both sides pledged efforts to restore relations. Despite subsequent meetings and diplomatic engagements, no concrete breakthrough has yet been achieved.
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