While addressing over 500 youths in Kinshasa, in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Youth, Peace and Security, Burundian President General Evariste Ndayishimiye pledged to overthrow a democratically elected government in Rwanda led by President Paul Kagame.

Ndayishimiye made the agitating remarks on January 21, 2024.

The Burundian President said Rwandan youths should “start putting pressure on [their leaders] because I believe that young Rwandans cannot accept being prisoners in the region.”

Ndayishimiye might, perhaps, be thinking Rwanda needs militiamen like Imbonerakure, a violent militia group affiliated to Burundi’s ruling party, CNDD-FDD, known for human rights abuses.

Imbonerakure is used by Ndayishimiye’s administration in repressing and intimidating Burundian rights activists and members of opposition parties, as well as deploying in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight FNL and RED-Tabara rebel groups. Several rights organizations reported violence committed by Imbonerakure, who operate with complete impunity due to their affiliation with the ruling party.

In calling on Rwandan youths to overthrow their democratically elected government, Ndayishimiye is, to an extent, doing what the genocidal in Rwanda, over 30 years ago, did when it used the youths to commit the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The Interahamwe were youth who were trained to kill their fellow countrymen.

Apparently, Ndayishimiye is smashing the old wounds of Rwandans who suffered from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Fortunately, Rwanda has decided to move in a right direction, leaving bad politics behind, unlike Burundi that is overwhelmed by divisionism and ethnicity, which affect their socio-economic development.

Ndayishimiye’s incompetence led him to not only failing his people as a Head of State, but also creating more chaos in the region.

The corrupt Ndayishimiye wants Rwandans to suffer just as the vulnerable Burundians are.

Ndayishimiye unilaterally closed the border with Rwanda, alleging that Kigali backs RED-Tabara, a Burundian rebel group based in eastern DRC. Rwanda denies the allegations.

Related: Implication of Burundi closing border with Rwanda

With the border closure, Burundians are imprisoned in their country and overwhelmed by poverty. Burundi, the world's poorest country is grappling with poverty, corruption, instability, authoritarianism, and illiteracy.

Ndayishimiye is aware of all the challenges that Burundi faces but he does not care.

It is baffling how, then, he wants to overthrow President Kagame to “liberate” Rwandans.

Ndayishimiye should first liberate Burundians.

Rwandans vowed to work together to promote unity and the development of their country. The youth, specifically, are engaged in various developmental projects aimed at building a brighter future. By trying to corrupt the mindset of Rwandan youth, Ndayishimiye missed the point because the Rwandan youth today have a different mindset due to good governance.