Burundian soldiers deployed deep in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo on behalf of President Félix Tshisekedi’s government are facing a growing crisis as conditions worsen and support collapses.
Reports indicate the troops are enduring months without pay, inadequate food and medical supplies, and a rising death toll in one of the region’s most dangerous conflict zones.
Many soldiers say they do not understand why they are fighting. Once inside the forests of North and South Kivu, they discovered they were being ordered to target communities they view as indigenous and closely related to their own people.
Some reportedly question the mission, asking why they are killing people who look like them and share ties to their broader homeland. This confusion has created deep moral and psychological strain within the ranks.
Their physical conditions are equally dire. Soldiers describe going for long periods without pay, surviving on limited rations, and living in improvised shelters in hostile terrain marked by constant rain, disease, and insecurity.
Because of the depth of the jungle and the intensity of fighting, casualties often cannot be evacuated. Some bodies are left behind or buried anonymously, leaving families in Burundi desperate for information.
The death toll among Burundian forces continues to climb. Frequent ambushes and night attacks by local armed groups have overwhelmed poorly supported units.
Soldiers complain of being sent into unfamiliar terrain without proper equipment, communication tools, or medical backup.
The deployment itself is shrouded in secrecy, with neither Bujumbura nor Kinshasa clearly explaining the terms of the mission.
The lack of transparency has fueled frustration among soldiers and families who say they were promised salaries and allowances that have never materialized.
Analysts warn that the combination of unpaid deployments, poor conditions, unclear political objectives, and the emotional burden of fighting people they consider kin could trigger a collapse in morale and discipline.
Some soldiers are now openly questioning the purpose of their presence in Congo, with one reportedly asking how they can die in a conflict without knowing why they are there.
The plight of these Burundian troops has become one of the most overlooked aspects of the DRC’s ongoing crisis, highlighting the human cost borne by young men fighting a war that is neither theirs nor clearly explained to them.