Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye has claimed that Rwanda is planning to attack his country, citing “credible intelligence” that supports his allegations. In an interview with the BBC, Ndayishimiye accused Rwanda of attempting to destabilize Burundi, drawing parallels to Rwanda’s alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Burundian leader also alleged that Rwanda had played a role in the failed 2015 coup against his predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza. He claimed that Rwanda had recruited and trained Burundian youth in Mahama refugee camp, arming and financing them to overthrow the government. “The people who did the 2015 coup [were] organized by Rwanda, and then they ran away. Rwanda organized them – it went to recruit the youth in Mahama camp. It trained them, it gave them arms, it financed them. They are living in the hand of Rwanda,” he stated.

Responding to the allegations, Rwanda dismissed Ndayishimiye’s remarks as “surprising” and reiterated that the two nations were cooperating on security matters along their shared border, which has been closed for over a year. Rwanda has consistently denied accusations of supporting rebel groups in the region, including the M23 in eastern DRC and the Red Tabara rebel group, which Ndayishimiye claims is being used as a proxy force to destabilize Burundi.

Despite these tensions, the Burundian president emphasized his preference for dialogue over conflict. “Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters,” he warned. However, he insisted that Burundi has no immediate plans to attack Rwanda and instead called for peaceful negotiations.

At the core of Ndayishimiye’s statements was a call for the full implementation of a previously signed peace agreement between the two nations, which he claims Rwanda has failed to honor. He urged Rwanda to hand over individuals allegedly involved in the 2015 coup attempt and bring them to justice, stating that such a move would resolve the dispute between the two countries.

The ongoing diplomatic strain between Burundi and Rwanda adds to the broader regional instability, particularly in eastern DRC, where Rwanda has been accused of backing M23 rebels. While both nations have expressed a desire for peace, their continued accusations against each other highlight deep-seated tensions that could escalate if not addressed through dialogue.