Burundi on Monday said that close to 10,000 people had fled across its western border from the Democratic Republic of Congo over the last three days as Rwanda-backed forces advance there.
“Those who flee are passing through the official border at Gatumba or cross the river Rusizi,” said the interior ministry in a statement.
It said measures were being taken to identify soldiers, civilians and the sick among the refugees and provide shelter with the help of the United Nations refugee agency.
The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has seized large areas of eastern DR Congo in recent weeks, displacing hundreds of thousands, and this weekend entered the key city of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.
That has brought them only around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the border with Burundi, which has sent more than 10,000 troops to help the Congolese army since October 2023 in its fight against M23 and other armed groups.
Interior Minister Martin Niteretse on Sunday told AFP that “thousands of Congolese refugees fled because they panicked on learning that the city of Bukavu was taken”, but said that he was not yet aware of the precise numbers.
On Friday, officials said Burundi had briefly closed a key border crossing with DR Congo to stem the flow of refugees.
