This Tuesday, Burundi’s ruler, Evariste Ndayishimiye aka Gen. Neva received a group of self-declared Banyamulenge, presented as “representatives of their community.” They claimed they came “to express gratitude” for what was described as his (Ndayishimiye) “advocacy for peace” in the region.
What a fraudulent bunch! Ndayishimiye, a stooge of Congo ruler Felix Tshisekedi, has been pursuing an ideology of genocide (together with the Congolese). They target Congo’s Tutsi communities (of which Banyamulenge) for extermination. That’s no secret. These shameless opportunists are beyond contemptible.
The scene was a staged display, orchestrated to serve a political narrative.
The script did not begin here. In early February, while in the United States, Felix Tshisekedi convened a similar group of Banyamulenge. There, the same talking points were repeated. Rwanda and the M23 are manipulating the Banyamulenge community. The next move was to expand this staged drama to his puppet Ndayishimiye, with whom they share the genocide ideology.
This is manipulation.
At its core, this effort appears designed to whitewash ongoing abuses by manufacturing consent. A handful of individuals are elevated and rewarded to project a version of reality that does not reflect the lived experience of the broader Banyamulenge community. These turncoat figures, far from representing their people, have aligned themselves with power in exchange for blood money. Some among them have even been linked to funding Gumino, an armed group that has fought against Banyamulenge civilians.
However, some realities cannot be erased.
In Minembwe, Banyamulenge communities continue to endure repeated drone strikes made by the Tshisekedi coalition. In several areas, civilians have faced killings, rape, and displacement at the hands of Burundian troops, FARDC elements, the FDLR, and Wazalendo militias. These are part of a pattern that has defined daily life for many families.
Not long ago, in both Uvira and Minembwe, the same coalition imposed a harsh humanitarian blockade. Medicines, food, and essential supplies were cut off, leaving thousands exposed to famine and disease. Schools, churches, and homes were destroyed. This followed the withdrawal of M23 forces from Uvira, after which the vacuum was filled with further suffering.
Against this backdrop, the drama in Burundi becomes even more hurtful. Gratitude was offered to Ndayishimiye, whose forces are contributing to the very crisis affecting the community he was being thanked for “supporting.”
Then, what kind of Munyamulenge can publicly thank those implicated in the suffering of his own people? The answer is uncomfortable.
The individuals seen alongside Ndayishimiye, and previously with Tshisekedi, do not embody the voice of Banyamulenge in Minembwe or elsewhere. They are political instruments. Quislings who have chosen proximity to power over solidarity with their people.
No amount of staging can conceal that truth.