Bishops of Rwanda and Burundi appeal for peace in embattled region

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Bishops of Rwanda and Burundi are calling for peace in the region, according to the pontifical agency Fides.

At the conclusion of the first Ordinary Plenary Assembly of the Association of Ordinary Conferences of Rwanda and Burundi (ACOREB), the Bishops declared, "The closure of borders hinders economic growth, social cohesion, and cultural exchange."  The meeting took place from March 30 to April 1 at the Saint Joseph Center in Kibungo, Rwanda.

Long-awaited restoration of unity and normalcy

The Bishops of the two countries noted in their statement, "We ask our leaders to act wisely and mercifully to restore normalcy and promote unity between our nations."

Moreover, Fides reports, Rwanda and Burundi's Bishops also joined the message of the Association of Central African Episcopal Conferences (ACEAC), which calls for negotiations to resolve the conflicts peacefully.

Calls for resolving conflict through peaceful means

The Bishops recalled that from 24-26 February 2025, the Association of Central African Episcopal Conferences (ACEAC) held a meeting in Dar es Salaam to seek solutions for peace in the Great Lakes region, particularly in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

"The members of ACOREB," the Bishops noted, welcome and support the message of ACEAC, "which calls on all parties involved in this deadly war to return to the negotiating table to resolve their conflicts through peaceful means and sincere and inclusive dialogue."

The Episcopal Conferences of Burundi and of Rwanda both translated this message into the local language and disseminated it in all parishes in order to raise awareness among the faithful, pray for peace in our sub-region, and be witnesses of fraternity," they encouraged.

"In a world where many people sow discord and build walls of division for their own selfish interests and greedy ambitions," the Bishops observed, Catholic faithful are "to invest in building bridges and to bear witness to communion, universal fraternity, and the truth."

Dramatic climate

The government in Bujumbura, the largest city and former capital of Burundi, has closed the land border with Rwanda, accusing the country of supporting Burundian rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, reported Fides, adding the government in Rwanda's largest city and capital, Kigali, is denying these accusations.

Burundi also believes that the perpetrators of the failed 2015 coup are in Rwanda and intends to bring them to justice. However, Rwanda says that under international law, it is unable to extradite individuals seeking political asylum.

The crisis between Rwanda and Burundi is linked to the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where large parts of the provinces of North and South Kivu have fallen under the control of the Rwandan-backed M23 guerrilla movement.

The government in Bujumbura now fears a possible incursion by the M23 and Rwandans into its territory and an expansion of the Congolese conflict to the entire Great Lakes region. As a result of this dramatic climate and crisis unfolding the Bishops have issued their heartfelt appeal.