Burundi has announced an indefinite closure of its border with Rwanda, accusing its neighbor of supporting a rebel group that has carried out deadly attacks in the country.
Burundi’s Interior Minister Martin Niteretse said on Thursday that the decision was taken to protect the country’s security and sovereignty.
“We have stopped ties with him (Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame) until he changes,” Niteretse was quoted as saying by local media.
Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye had accused Rwanda in late December of hosting and training the Red Tabara rebel group, which claimed responsibility for an attack near Burundi’s western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that killed 20 people.
Rwanda has denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and “unfounded”.
Rwanda’s government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said on Twitter that the border closure was an “unfortunate decision” that violated the principles of regional cooperation and integration of the East African Community (EAC), a bloc that both countries are part of.
She also said that Rwanda remained open to dialogue with Burundi to resolve the issues.
The border closure is the latest sign of strained relations between the two neighbors, which have a similar language, ethnic composition, and colonial history.
Tensions have been high since 2015, when Burundi plunged into a political crisis after former President Pierre Nkurunziza sought a third term in office, sparking mass protests and a failed coup attempt.
Burundi accused Rwanda of backing the coup plotters and harboring some of them, while Rwanda accused Burundi of allowing armed groups to operate from its territory and attack Rwanda.
The two countries closed their border in 2015 and reopened it in 2022 after Ndayishimiye took office following Nkurunziza’s death.
However, the border reopening did not lead to a significant improvement in bilateral relations, as both sides continued to trade accusations of interference and hostility.
The border closure could hurt trade, transport, and humanitarian activities in the region, as well as the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases.
Red Tabara, which means “resist” in Kirundi, is one of several rebel groups that have been fighting Burundi’s government from bases in eastern DRC since 2015.
The group says it wants to restore democracy and human rights in Burundi, which has been accused of widespread abuses by international rights groups.
In December, the group said it had killed nine soldiers and one police officer in an attack on a military camp in Mabayi commune, near the border with DRC.
Burundi’s government said the attack had claimed the lives of 20 people, including civilians, and blamed Rwanda for supporting the rebels.
The United Nations and the African Union have urged both countries to refrain from actions that could escalate the situation and to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences peacefully.
Source: Reuters
