Burundi Condemns Rwanda for Supporting RED-Tabara after a Recent Massacre (DRC)
Michiyo Tanabe and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi condemned Rwanda for supporting the RED-Tabara insurgents (Burundi says terrorists) based in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Recently, at least 20 people were killed by RED-Tabara near the border area between Burundi and the DRC.
Ndayishimiye said, RED-Tabara “Are fed, sheltered, hosted and maintained in terms of logistics and financial means by … Rwanda.”
He continued, “As long as they have a country that provides them with uniforms, feeds them, protects them, shelters them, maintains them, we will have problems.”
AP News said about the recent massacre, “At least 20 people have been killed in Burundi following an attack by a rebel group based in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, a Burundian government spokesman said Saturday.”
Jérôme Niyonzima (a spokesperson) notified people that the deaths included 12 children and two pregnant women.
Voice of America reports, “In August last year, Burundi deployed soldiers to eastern Congo as part of a regional force invited by Congo to tackle the resurgence of the M23 rebel group there. Some observers believed that the Burundi troops from the seven-nation East African Community regional force would be used to crush RED-Tabara.”
This East African force is gradually being withdrawn from the DRC.
The DRC also accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 insurgents.
France 24 reports, “According to the UN experts’ report, Rwanda’s military intervened to “reinforce” the M23 as well as to combat the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) — a descendant of Rwandan Hutu extremist groups that carried out the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda.”
Stéphane Dujarric de la Rivière, the Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said the UN was “concerned over the deteriorating security situation…and the increase of attacks against civilians by the Cooperative for Development of the Congo (CODECO) and the M23 as well as the on-going presence of other foreign armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Red Tabara and the Forces Démocratique pour la libération de Rwanda (FDLR), which continue to pose a threat to regional stability.”
Rwanda is likely to deny the accusations by Burundi – similar to denying the role of Rwanda in the DRC.
Lynchings against the Tutsi have happened in the DRC. Accordingly, the M23 (under the auspices of Rwanda – even if denied – also seeks to protect the Tutsi from random acts of ethnic bloodletting) seeks to protect the Tutsi – alongside a geopolitical goal.
It is incumbent on Burundi, Rwanda, and the DRC to solve these complex issues. If not, the blood will continue to flow – and ethnic and political hatred will increase.
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