Burundi Accuses Rwanda of Rebel Support, Presents Alleged Rwandan

On September 1, Burundian authorities in Bujumbura presented a man identified as Bonheur Dieudonné, claiming he is a Rwandan national who joined the RED-Tabara armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, using this event to renew accusations of Rwandan support for the rebel movement. According to the Burundian National Police, Dieudonné was arrested in eastern DRC and subsequently transferred to Burundi. Authorities identified him as a Rwandan born in 1999 in Nyamagabe District, Southern Province, providing specific parental names. During the presentation, testimony attributed to Dieudonné detailed his alleged journey: travelling to Kigali for work, being recruited by a man named Rwigema, joining a group of individuals in Kigali and Kabuga, and then being moved to Bukavu and Kaziba in eastern DRC, where he was allegedly given military boots and linked with RED-Tabara fighters. His account further claimed that the group came under attack from Wazalendo, a pro-government armed network in eastern Congo, leading to his surrender to Wazalendo fighters, who then handed him over to the Congolese army before his transfer to Burundian authorities. This public presentation, however, has generated significant online skepticism regarding the man's identity and the circumstances of his capture and transfer.