Thousands of Congolese are fleeing into Burundi as fighting escalates between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in South Kivu. On Wednesday, M23 claimed control of the city of Uvira, prompting a mass exodus. New reception sites, including the Kansega transit site in Ndava zone near the DRC border, have been set up to manage arrivals. Conditions are dire: refugees face a lack of water, sanitation, and shelter. Many report harrowing journeys.
“Getting here was difficult. We went through heavy shelling and bullets, and I personally lost my younger brother who was killed by a bomb,” said 32-year-old Fidèle Edimbe, a father of three from Uvira. “That’s when we decided to cross the Rusizi River to reach Burundi.” Between 5 and 11 December, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recorded 40,000 new arrivals across three sites: Kansega, Cishemere, and Gatumba. UNHCR representative Brigitte Mukanga-Engo visited Kansega on 11 December and confirmed severe resource shortages, calling for urgent international support.
Authorities note that many of the arrivals are Burundians returning home after previously being refugees in the DRC. The Burundian government, through its immigration and refugee agencies, is coordinating assistance. UNHCR has announced plans to open a new camp in Bweru, eastern Burundi, to accommodate the growing numbers. Since January, Burundi has hosted over 71,000 Congolese refugees, including 18,000 at Musenyi camp alone.
