Congolese refugees in Burundi: Families separated by chaos of war

France 24

2 days ago

Africa
05:55
Burundi goes to the polls this Thursday to elect MPs and local councillors. But the election has already been heavily criticised, with many candidates disqualified by the electoral commission – including longtime opposition figure Agathon Rwasa. Burundi is also affected by the conflict in neighbouring DR Congo. More than 71,000 Congolese nationals have fled the fighting between the Congolese army and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels since January. Many have crossed into Burundi, making this the largest refugee influx the country has seen in decades. The chaos of war has torn families apart, as our regional correspondent reports.
Most of these Congolese refugees are women and children, who face not only the trauma of fleeing, but also the heartbreak of separation. FRANCE 24 followed several families from the border to a UNHCR site on the other side of the country.
At the end of their journey, some of the refugees are reunited with loved ones already in Burundi. Others have no news of their families. All of them must now learn to live with the uncertainty of their future return to DR Congo.