Burundi: 11 Banyamulenge Refugees Face Arbitrary Detention

• Alexis David Musore, a Banyamulenge refugee and pastor, was arbitrarily detained by Burundian intelligence agents on October 5, 2026, with his whereabouts currently unknown.
• His arrest is part of a wider pattern, bringing the total to eleven Banyamulenge refugees detained or abducted in Burundi within the last month.
• Seven Banyamulenge refugees, including three pastors, are reportedly held by the National Intelligence Service in Bujumbura, with their families lacking information.
• These detentions, often without warrants or disclosed reasons, are fueling significant fear among the over 8,000 Congolese refugees in Bwagiriza camp.
• The escalating arrests coincide with Burundi's military involvement in the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The escalating pattern of arbitrary detention and lack of due process for Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi poses significant human rights and protection concerns, requiring urgent legal scrutiny and potential intervention to safeguard this vulnerable population.

An atmosphere of heightened concern has enveloped the Bwagiriza refugee camp following the arbitrary detention of Alexis David Musore, a Congolese refugee of Banyamulenge ethnicity. Musore, who has resided in the camp located in Burundi's Ruyigi district for over fifteen years, was apprehended on Friday, October 5, 2026, by individuals identified as Burundian intelligence agents. His family reports that no warrant or official documentation was presented during his arrest, and his current whereabouts and the specific charges against him remain undisclosed. Witnesses observed agents seizing his two mobile phones, one used for his mobile money transfer business and another personal device, before he was taken away.

Musore, a respected trader operating a Lumicash mobile money service and a pastor within the Assemblies of God community in Burundi (CADEP), is not an isolated case. His detention marks the eleventh such incident involving Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi within the past month. In Bwagiriza alone, three other Banyamulenge men have been arrested since early September, though their relatives confirm they were later released after significant payments were made. This pattern of arrests extends to Bujumbura, the commercial capital, where seven additional Banyamulenge refugees, including three pastors, have been held by the National Intelligence Service (SNR) for approximately a month in some instances. Their families have also been denied information regarding the reasons for their detention or their locations.

The escalating frequency of these detentions has instilled profound fear among the Banyamulenge community, particularly within the Bwagiriza camp, which hosts more than 8,000 Congolese refugees. The lack of transparency surrounding these arrests, coupled with the absence of official communication regarding the detainees' status, has created a climate of uncertainty and anxiety. Neither the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) nor Burundi's National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA) has issued any public statements concerning these incidents.

The circumstances surrounding these arrests raise significant concerns regarding due process and international refugee protection standards. The reported absence of arrest warrants or official documentation, combined with the undisclosed locations and charges for those detained, points to a pattern of arbitrary detention. Such actions directly contravene fundamental human rights principles that guarantee individuals the right to be informed of the reasons for their arrest and to access legal recourse.

For refugees, who are particularly vulnerable and dependent on host states for protection, these procedural irregularities are especially alarming. The silence from key humanitarian and governmental bodies, including the UNHCR and ONPRA, further complicates the legal landscape, leaving affected families without clear avenues for information or intervention. The practice of releasing detainees only after substantial payments, as reported in some cases, suggests potential abuses of power and a disregard for legal norms, undermining the trust essential for refugee protection frameworks.

The ongoing arbitrary detention of Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi carries profound implications, exacerbating an already tense regional situation. These arrests are occurring against a backdrop of active conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and strained relations between Burundi and Rwanda. Burundi has been a significant military actor in the eastern DRC, deploying over 29,000 soldiers between August 2022 and December 2025, according to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Security. These forces have engaged alongside the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Kinshasa-backed Wazalendo militias against the AFC-M23.

Following their withdrawal from North Kivu, Burundian soldiers largely redeployed to South Kivu, where they continued operations with the FARDC and Wazalendo against various armed groups, including Twirwaneho, in the highlands of Fizi and Mwenga. This complex geopolitical involvement suggests that the targeting of Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi could be linked to perceptions or misperceptions related to the conflict in their homeland. The escalating pattern of arbitrary detention and lack of due process for Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi poses significant human rights and protection concerns, requiring urgent legal scrutiny and potential intervention to safeguard this vulnerable population.

Lawyers and human rights advocates should be aware of the escalating pattern of arbitrary detention and lack of due process for Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi, which poses significant human rights and protection concerns requiring urgent legal scrutiny and potential intervention.

Source: Original reporting via SOS Médias Burundi