Bujumbura, Burundi – Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye has blamed external forces for fueling the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), accusing them of exploiting the region’s resources to maintain instability.

Speaking to a British media outlet, Ndayishimiye asserted that foreign actors are deliberately prolonging the conflict to profit from the DRC’s vast mineral wealth. He emphasized that a lasting solution would require bringing all political opposition parties and armed groups to the negotiating table to create a peaceful and inclusive future for Congolese citizens.

The Burundian president also raised concerns over Rwanda’s alleged plans to attack Burundi, citing what he described as credible intelligence.

“Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters. But now, we don’t have any plans to attack Rwanda. We want to resolve that problem by dialogue. […] There is no need for us to go to war. We want dialogue, but we will not sit idle if we are attacked,” Ndayishimiye warned.

He further called on Rwanda to honor past peace agreements and extradite suspected insurgents to face justice.

In response, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe dismissed Ndayishimiye’s accusations as “unfortunate”, noting that military and intelligence officials from both countries are already engaged in discussions aimed at de-escalating tensions.