Families of international staff working for United Nations agencies in Burundi have been evacuated following a decision from the headquarters. This action was taken due to security instability in the country.

The evacuation process started last week, with security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to sources who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi, "The dependents of international staff from different UN agencies in Burundi have been relocated to Uganda."

This decision came just days after Burundi’s authorities expelled two officials from the World Food Programme (WFP).

The expulsion happened after security guidelines were shared, which the government saw as "a threat to state security."

Observers see the UN's decision to evacuate these families as a sign of growing insecurity in the region, mainly due to the conflict in eastern DRC. The M23 armed group, believed to have Rwandan support, continues expanding its control in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.