Burundi has urged the United Nations Security Council to take urgent action against Rwanda following the capture of the Congolese city of Uvira by M23 rebels, warning that continued attacks originating from Rwandan territory risk ‘triggering a direct confrontation” between states in the Great Lakes region.
Addressing the Security Council, Burundi’s delegate condemned what he described as the Rwanda Defence Force’s role in the seizure of Uvira, calling it a repeated violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025).
He said the offensive had caused severe civilian suffering and mass displacement into Burundi, particularly into the border areas of Gatumba and Cibitoke, stretching humanitarian capacity.
Burundi reported cross-border artillery and drone strikes that it said had hit Burundian territory, violating its “sovereignty and threatening regional stability.”
The delegate called for “full, impartial implementation of the Washington peace commitments” and Resolution 2773, stressing the need to “protect civilians and provide emergency humanitarian assistance” to refugees.
He urged the Council to consider arms embargoes and targeted economic sanctions, warning that if attacks linked to Rwanda continue, “direct escalation between states cannot be ruled out.”
While reaffirming Burundi’s commitment to regional peace initiatives, he said Bujumbura would defend its territory if necessary under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Uvira, a strategic lakeside city and temporary seat of South Kivu’s provincial institutions, fell to M23 rebels at midnight earlier this week after days of rapid advances along the Ruzizi Plain.
The insurgents captured a string of towns north of the city — including Luvungi, Sange and Kiliba, just 17 km away — forcing Congolese army units to withdraw.
Residents and humanitarian workers said heavy gunfire preceded the rebels’ entry, triggering overnight displacement as thousands fled toward the Burundian border. The fall of Uvira marked one of the most significant battlefield setbacks for Kinshasa in years.
Rwanda Rejects Accusations
Rwanda’s UN ambassador Martin Ngoga rejected Burundi’s claims, urging the Security Council to ensure that the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO operates with strict impartiality as its mandate is renewed.
He said MONUSCO should reinforce implementation of the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Framework, focusing on ceasefire compliance and stability.
Ngoga accused the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundian forces and allied militias of persecuting the Banyamulenge community in South Kivu, citing village destruction, forced displacement, killings, blockades and drone strikes as warning signs of potential atrocity crimes. Kigali, he said, remains committed to a political solution and durable peace.
Kagame Warns
Earlier on Thursday, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Rwanda was being unfairly blamed for violence inside Congo, even as international pressure mounts on Kigali to withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.
Speaking in Kigali, Kagame accused Burundi of secretly deploying tens of thousands of troops deep inside Congolese territory, including in Uvira and areas far from Burundi’s stated security concerns. He said international actors had remained silent while Burundian forces shelled communities in Minembwe using artillery and drones, only to “suddenly discover Rwanda” after the fall of Uvira.
“So now Rwanda is expected to bear responsibility for all the problems unfolding inside Congo,” Kagame said, rejecting allegations of wrongdoing and insisting that peace depends on all parties honouring their commitments.
The sharply opposing statements highlight deep divisions at the Security Council as fighting intensifies in eastern Congo just days after a U.S.-brokered peace accord was signed in Washington.
Diplomats said the Council faces mounting pressure to act as displacement rises, humanitarian access shrinks and fears grow that the conflict could spill into a wider regional war.