Reports from Baraka, a strategic town in South Kivu, indicate growing discontent among Burundian soldiers deployed to fight alongside the Congolese army. Multiple sources within the ranks suggest that troops are increasingly refusing to fight, citing a litany of grievances that have eroded morale to its lowest point since the deployment began.
The immediate trigger appears to be the crushing defeat at Point Zero, a strategic position near Minembwe that fell to Twirwaneho fighters allied with the AFC/M23 after fierce fighting. The loss reportedly exposed deeper fractures within the Burundian ranks. Soldiers are reeling from drone strikes that have decimated their units, with reports of a boat carrying reinforcements being bombed on Lake Tanganyika as it attempted to reach the front lines.
However, the despair runs deeper than tactical setbacks. Rank-and-file soldiers accuse their own generals of profiting from the war while they are robbed of their meagre earnings. A lucrative arrangement signed between Presidents Ndayishimiye and Tshisekedi reportedly pays $5,000 per soldier per month directly to Burundi. Soldiers, however, claim they see only a fraction of this, receiving their standard pay of around $70 while their “bonuses” are often unpaid for months.
“We are full of lice. The Burundian soldier is a pitiful sight,” one soldier told a media outlet, describing uniforms in tatters and a complete lack of hygiene supplies after months without their monthly allowance.
Compounding this misery, soldiers report that their food rations are being diverted by corrupt officers who sell them on the black market, leaving the troops famished. They also express bitterness that their FARDC counterparts often flee the battlefield and are evacuated, while Burundians are expected to fight to the last man.
This is happening while the families of fallen soldiers are neglected and left to mourn without support. The growing anger has led to open defiance. A security brief warned Burundian leadership that they should not be surprised to hear of a mutiny or violent insurrection. With thousands of soldiers having already deserted and with a potentially decisive offensive on Baraka looming, tensions could soon reach a breaking point.
