Makamba : we don’t care about the genocide (against Tutsis) and Congo also has the right to be supported (Révérien Ndikuriyo)

The secretary general of the CNDD-FDD, Révérien Ndikuriyo declared last Friday that he does not care about the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda and that Congo also has the right to be supported. The leader of the former Hutu rebellion accuses Rwanda of having killed people in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) over the past 30 years under the pretext of pursuing Hutu genocidaires – FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda). According to him, Rwanda should stop « whining ».
INFO SOS Médias Burundi
Last Friday, Révérien Ndikuriyo had convened a public conference in his native province – Makamba in southern Burundi. The choice of the Nkurunziza Peace Park Complex Stadium is not a coincidence. The conference, a first, began with a long parade of majorettes (children aged 9 and over) and Imbonerakure, members of the CNDD-FDD youth league. Journalists who were supported by the ruling party, to whom the CNDD-FDD boss offered to send even to the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels to ask questions relating to European sanctions against Burundi, had enough time to ask questions, in complete peace. When it was his turn to respond to Rwanda’s accusations that the FDNB (Burundi National Defense Force) is collaborating with the Hutu-FDLR genocidaires in North Kivu, Mr. Ndikuriyo could not have been more himself. « Why is Rwanda interfering in Congo’s affairs? That’s my question. Congo and Burundi, we have bilateral agreements even in military affairs, how can Rwanda get involved? And these groups that Rwanda accuses of having committed genocide, the Rwandan military has been hunting them down for 30 years since 1994, if they have not been able to eradicate them, that’s their business. They are troublemakers. Why are they causing trouble? Haven’t they attacked Congo since 94 and 95, killing people under the pretext of pursuing these groups? Who is this person that we have been fighting for 30 years? How old could he be at the beginning? », he replied to a local journalist, in a very severe tone.
The genocide (against Tutsis) is mocked and Congo also has the right to be supported
Reverien Ndikuriyo claims that Rwanda is only « whining » and that the genocide has served as a pretext for Rwandan authorities to attack Congo permanently.
« The genocide served as a pretext for them. Rwanda keeps whining. Stop crying! It’s been 30 years (that they have been attacking Congo). We heard them fighting with Ugandans in Kisangani, in Ituri… saying that they are looking for the FDLR. In total, it’s been 30 years. Does it frustrate Rwanda that Burundi maintains good relations with Congo? Congo has the right to ask for help and it’s normal because between friends, we help each other. Why do they feel wronged when their country has its own borders? Why do they care about what is happening on the other side of the border? Or are they really there! », continued the leader of the former Hutu rebellion, which became the ruling party in 2005 thanks to the 2000 Arusha agreement.

The secretary general of the CNDD-FDD, Révérien Ndikuriyo and his deputy Cyriaque Nshimirimana decorate a child from a family of members of the ruling party during the day dedicated to Imbonerakure in Makamba (southern Burundi), August 26, 2023
And to drive the point home : « don’t think that I’m going to be lenient because they mention genocide. I don’t give a damn about all that. What concerns me is the security of our country, the security of Burundi. Let everyone mind their own business! »
Rwanda refused to reveal posts of the FDRL so that the Burundian military could attack them
According to Révérien Ndikuriyo, the Burundian military are recognized for their discipline throughout the world and Rwanda refused to reveal posts of the FDLR to the FDNB military who fight alongside the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and its allied militias, so that they could attack them.
« His Excellency (Evariste Ndayishimiye) said it : we went to Congo and asked Rwanda to show us the FDLR so that we could go and open fire on them, but they did not do so while Rwandans were in charge of intelligence. Let them stop whining. We told them : reveal their posts to us so that we can attack them as well, but they were reluctant to do so. They only chatter! And besides, this question frustrates me a little. Let them stop talking nonsense! Let everyone mind their own business. Let them let us mind our own business, » concluded the secretary general of the CNDD-FDD in a tone that was both mocking and contracted.
The province of Makamba, like the rest of the small East African nation, has been suffering from a shortage of beers and soft drinks from the only Burundi Brewery Company (Brarudi) for a very long time. But on January 3, 2025, Ndikuriyo’s guests were able to quench their thirst. A Brarudi truck that was supposed to supply a stock of the districts of Mabanda, Makamba, Kibago and Vugizo was hijacked by the boss of the ruling party.
In addition to the majorettes and the Imbonerakure as well as some 90 local journalists, all the provincial (18) and district (119) secretaries of the CNDD-FDD, most of the governors and district administrators, all residents of the new province of Burunga (the entire southwest and southeast region) which currently includes the provinces of Bururi, Makamba, Rumonge and Rutana, appointed by presidential decree and ministerial orders as well as all heads of services in Burunga province were also invited to the ceremony.
There was no direct reaction from the Rwandan government. But Rwanda has repeatedly accused Burundi of collaborating with the Hutu genocidaires – FDLR. The latter are fighting alongside the Congolese army, especially in the province of North Kivu where the Burundian army has been deployed since March 2023, first as part of the regional force of the EAC, the East African Community, then in the bilateral framework between the Burundian and Congolese governments.
Burundian soldiers are fighting alongside the FARDC and its allied militias against the M23. Révérien Ndikuriyo did not specify whether Rwanda refused to reveal posts of the FDLR when Burundian soldiers were still included in the EAC force or not.
The M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion that took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing Congolese authorities of not having respected their commitments on the reintegration of its fighters. Congolese authorities remain convinced that it benefits from Rwandan support, which the Rwandan government has consistently dismissed. For its part, Rwanda accuses Congolese leaders of supporting the Hutu FDLR genocidaires, based in eastern Congo for three decades. However, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has often described the FDLR as « a residual force reduced to banditry that no longer represents any danger to Rwanda. »
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Révérien Ndikuriyo, secretary general of the CNDD-FDD who declared Friday January 3, 2025 that he does not care about the genocide ofTutsis in Rwanda and that Congo also has the right to be supported (SOS Médias Burundi)