BUJUMBURA, February 11th (ABP) – Burundian Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca returned from the United Republic of Tanzania on Monday, February 10, 2025, where he represented the President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, in a joint Summit of Heads of State and Government of the EAC and SADC. The meeting was chaired by the Presidents of the two communities William Ruto and Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Ndirakobuca indicated that this meeting aimed to analyze the problems of peace and security in the region, and especially the case of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the M23 rebellion took the city of Goma. He further recalled that during the meeting, he announced to the Heads of State that President Evariste Ndayishimiye did not attend due to other activities scheduled prior to the latter’s invitation.
The Prime Minister also indicated that he explained to them the negative impacts of the war in eastern DRCongo on the region, and especially on Burundi, underscoring that the armed movements in that area can attack Burundi as the Red-Tabara rebellion recently did.
During the meeting, he added, Burundi approved that it supports the dialogue held between the DRC and the M23 movement in Nairobi and Luanda, and that the Republic of Burundi also recommended a ceasefire in Goma to rescue the wounded and allow the population to return home.
The Burundian Prime Minister also indicated that, during the meeting, Burundi suggested that the Rwandan forces who “support the M23” present on Congolese soil return to their country in order to restore peace and security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Subsequently, he announced that Burundi had presented the results from the Cabinet meeting, setting out proposals aimed at restoring peace and security in the region. On that occasion, Burundi requested the approval of those proposals by the Heads of State present.
During the same meeting, Ndirakobuca emphasized, severe measures were taken including, among others, the immediate ceasefire in eastern DRCongo; urgent aid to the victims of the war; the repatriation of the bodies of those who died in the war and the wounded; analysis on the protection and reactivation of Goma airport and places close to it; the reopening of all major roads linking the city of Goma to other cities; as well as the reopening of Lake Kivu to allow traffic to Bukavu.
Thus, the Prime Minister added, Burundi has asked the heads of the armies in the two communities to meet in five days to review how to implement those decisions. Ndirakobuca also said that during the meeting, the Cabinets of the two communities were demanded to meet in 30 days to analyze together the results from the meeting of the heads of the armies recommended above concerning the ceasefire and conflicts in the region, as well as the establishment of a commission responsible for monitoring the implementation of the decisions taken at the summit.
It was also recommended to prepare the road map showing the activities to be put in place, those urgent and others requiring analysis before their execution, as well as the financial means they require. It was also requested to prepare the main points that will be discussed in the next meeting.
It is worth noting that during the summit, it was recommended to prepare how all the armies on Congolese soil without an invitation from the DRC can withdraw from this country as soon as possible.