Catholic Bishops in Rwanda, Burundi Appeal for Normalcy amid Fears of DR Congo War Spillover

Burundi has closed the land border with Rwanda, accusing the country of supporting Burundian rebels in the east of DRC. 

Burundi, which had stationed its own military units in the Congolese province of South Kivu, withdrew them shortly before the M23 and Rwandan troops captured the provincial capital, Bukavu.

Agenzia Fides reports that with the M23 incursion into two major cities in Eastern DRC, the conflict in the country is deepening, raising fears that the war could spread to its neighbours.

The government in Bujumbura now fears a possible incursion by the M23 and Rwandans into its territory and an expansion of the Congolese conflict to the entire Great Lakes region. 

Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiy has told the press that he fears that Rwanda could be planning to attack Burundi.

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The Bishops in Rwanda and Burundi have reiterated the message by the Association of Central African Episcopal Conferences (ACEAC), which calls for negotiations to resolve the conflict peacefully.

“From February 24 to 26, 2025, the Association of Central African Episcopal Conferences (ACEAC) held a meeting in Dar es Salaam to seek solutions for peace in the Great Lakes region, particularly in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo," recall the bishops of Burundi and Rwanda. 

They add, “The members of ACOREB welcome and support the message of ACEAC, which calls on all parties involved in this deadly war to return to the negotiating table to resolve their conflicts through peaceful means and sincere and inclusive dialogue.”

To promote awareness in the two countries, the Episcopal Conference of Burundi (CECAB) and the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda (CEPR) have translated the ACEAC message into local languages and distributed it to all the Catholic Parishes.

The Bishops in Rwanda and Burundi say, “In a world where many people sow discord and build walls of division for their own selfish interests and greedy ambitions, the bishops urge the Catholic faithful to invest in building bridges and to bear witness to communion, universal fraternity, and the truth.”