Banyamulenge delegation seeks Burundi backing for return plan

A delegation from Banyamulenge Global Advocacy met Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye in Bujumbura on March 17, highlighting Burundi’s support for Congolese refugees and its stated role in efforts linked to peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The meeting was reported by Burundi Forum on March 19.

According to the report, the delegation thanked the Burundian head of state for backing Congolese refugees in Burundi, including Banyamulenge refugees, and for his engagement on regional stability questions tied to the conflict in eastern DRC. Burundi’s hosting role comes amid a sharp rise in displacement from the conflict next door.

UNHCR said in late February that more than 90,000 people had fled from the DRC into Burundi in roughly three months, while Burundi was already hosting more than 230,000 refugees, most of them from the DRC.

The meeting also comes at a moment when Burundi is seeking a higher diplomatic profile in continental affairs. In February, the African Union formally confirmed Ndayishimiye as AU chair for 2026, while AU communications have also referred to Burundi’s contribution to stabilization efforts in eastern DRC. That wider backdrop gives the Bujumbura meeting added regional significance beyond its refugee dimension.

The main source frames the Banyamulenge issue through a strongly political and historical lens, including broader interpretations about identity, regional conflict and long-term violence in eastern DRC. Those interpretations are presented by the source itself and should be treated separately from the core, verifiable fact of the meeting in Bujumbura.

The most solidly supported elements are that the delegation met the president, praised Burundi’s support for Congolese refugees, and linked that support to hopes for peace and coexistence in eastern DRC.