Burundi - the trauma that crosses borders

UNHCR operations in Burundi

Conflict in the Great Lakes region of Africa rarely makes headlines. For thirty years, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has suffered violent episodes driven by the world's hunger for minerals. As militias occupy resource-rich areas, several million Congolese civilians have been killed, and many more are displaced. ICN readers will also know that millions of women have been subjected to sexual violence, a situation highlighted by a visit by Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, in 2025.

What is less discussed is the impact of these mass atrocities on neighbouring countries. For instance, inhabitants of the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, live with the constant threat that battles taking place in the city of Uvira, a mere twenty-six kilometres away, will spill onto their territory: Burundi's army has been fighting on the side of the Congolese government.

Recent fighting and drone attacks in Uvira and nearby towns caused 200,000 Congolese to flee across the border to Burundi. They bring with them terrifying testimony about human rights abuses and war crimes being perpetrated with impunity by all sides. Many also have serious injuries. Their presence has increased the economic hardship already being endured by the citizens.

According to the UNHCR, "Since early December, over 84,000 people fleeing escalating clashes in DRC's South Kivu have crossed into Burundi….creating a major humanitarian emergency that requires immediate global support. Women and children are particularly affected, arriving exhausted and severely traumatized, bearing the physical and psychological marks of terrifying violence. Our teams met pregnant women, who shared that they had not eaten in days." Shelters are at 200% capacity, meaning that refugees are sleeping in the open in the rain, with acute water and sanitation shortages.

Beyond the current danger presented by the DRC conflict bleeding into Burundi, the war also reminds Burundians and Rwandans of their own painful past. Burundi's 1993 civil war prompted thousands of local people to flee. The following year, the Rwandan genocide killed an estimated million citizens. Massive numbers of survivors still endure post-traumatic stress disorder in both countries, with research showing that trauma is inherited by the offspring of survivors.

The escalation of regional conflict also reminds Burundians of the political violence in 2015 when armed groups attacked villages across the country. In Bujumbura there was also killing and mass displacement.

A mental health professional in Bujumbura told ICN, "I can describe the situation in Congo as a regional trigger of trauma because violence can rekindle painful memories for those who faced or witnessed past atrocities."

For the last two years, the UK charity Network for Africa has been working with a local non-profit association in Bujumbura, training medical professionals, teachers and community leaders in trauma counselling. Local volunteers offer support to other local and international organisations working in Burundi.

Rebecca Tinsley is the founder of the human rights group, Waging Peace