By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Report has indicated that at least 1,000 Burundian soldiers have been deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to assist in the fight against the M23 rebel group in the country’s eastern region, Reuters report indicates.
The troops were deployed since October and have since been wearing the Congolese military camouflage, Reuters says, citing unpublished UN report seen by its reporter.
Citing security and intelligence sources and sources close to Congolese army command, the report by the U.N. Group of Experts in Congo said the troops were airlifted from Burundi to eastern Congo by Congolese army planes starting from Sept. 21.
The report was shared internally with U.N. Security Council members on Dec. 15 and seen by Reuters on Saturday and is due to be published in January.
It sheds light on Congo’s security strategy in the eastern DRC beyond the known deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and Congolese soldiers, who were being assisted by regional force, East African Community (EAC) till earlier December when some of them pulled out.
The report said the Burundian government had denied to the U.N experts any Burundian troop deployment outside the EAC arrangement.
It also said Congolese military authorities had told the group they were unaware of the cooperation with Burundian troops highlighted in the report.
Citing its sources, the report said the Burundian troops were deployed outside the EAC arrangement and alongside Congolese troops and allied armed groups fighting M23 in North Kivu province.
Since 2022 the M23 offensive there has worsened the region’s decades-long security and humanitarian crisis, forcing about one million people to flee their homes.
Congo, Western powers and the U.N. expert group say the Tutsi-led rebel group is supported by neighbouring Rwanda.
Rwanda denies any involvement, but the accusations have led to a major diplomatic crisis in the region.
