Following the December 22 rebel attack in western Burundi that killed at least 20, Burundian media spread a narrative alleging that Rwanda ‘supported’ the plotting of the attack.

The attack was claimed by the RED-Tabara rebel group, which has been battling the Burundian government from its bases in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2015.

The rebels claimed on X (former Twitter) to have killed nine soldiers and one police officer. They denied having targeted civilians.

On December 23, Burundian government Spokesperson Jérôme Niyonzima, claimed that those killed in the Friday evening raid in the town of Vugizo included 12 children, two pregnant women and a police officer.

“All eyes are now turning to Rwanda, suspected of harboring forces hostile to Burundi since 2015, in particular putschist soldiers and young refugees trained militarily,” wrote Burundi Forum, one of the government sponsored media outlets.

With such allegations, the Burundian government is covering up its failure to protect its own citizens and accusing Rwanda of plotting the attack. By doing so, President Évariste Ndayishimiye is following in the footsteps steps of his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi.

Tshisekedi has been accusing Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels who resumed fighting in late 2021, following a decade long dormancy. Despite incorporating several militia groups, Eastern Europe mercenaries, Rwandan genocidal militia, FDLR, as well as Wazalendo militia, the Congolese army failed to defeat the M23 rebels.  To cover his weaknesses, Tshisekedi claims that Rwanda backs the rebel group, an allegation that Kigali has consistently denied.

Ndayishimiye is now also behaving like Tshisekedi.

Witnesses who spoke to the Associated Press said the rebels appeared to be wearing Burundian Army uniforms and civilians were “left to their own devices” after the military and police fled.

“We realized they were attackers when they attacked the police station guarding the border. Many people here were injured by bullets [as they were] trying to flee,” said Priscille Kanyange, a farmer.

Another farmer, Innocent Hajayandi, who witnessed the attack, said security forces fled, “leaving the residents to their own devices”.

André Kabura, a grocery shop owner who was wounded in both legs in the gunfire, said the military and police were slow to regroup and fend off the attackers. Two military and security sources told AFP news agency that the attack targeted “a military position”.

The Burundian army failed to protect its civilians. The fact that the rebels were wearing Burundian Army uniforms also raises more questions.

Ndayishimiye and Tshisekedi signed a secret bilateral defense pact in August, leading to the deployment of over 6,000 Burundian troops to eastern DRC to support the Congolese army coalition to fight M23 rebels. The two leaders shared a plan for electoral coup in DRC, as well as investing in war rather than political dialogue and hence peace in eastern DRC.

On the other hand, Burundian families and some commanders are not happy with the deployment of Force de Défense Nationale du Burundi (FDNB) to eastern DRC to fight M23. Dozens of Burundian soldiers were killed and others injured in the battle against M23 rebels in North Kivu Province. Since November 29, the Burundian army has been repatriating casualties.

Some 150 Burundian troops were sent back to Burundi on December 8, following their protest against orders from Gitega to support the Congolese army coalition in fighting the M23 rebels. They did not understand why Burundian soldiers are dying in a war they do not benefit from.

Gitega’s accusations – blaming Kigali for the attack that targeted homes in the western town of Vugizo, close to the Lake Tanganyika border with DRC, have one objective; to divert the nation’s public from the chaos the Burundian army is engaged in eastern DRC where it is fighting alongside the Congolese army, against M23 rebels, and getting a bloody nose.

Gitega is poorly managing the crisis.

Clearly, Ndayishimiye is learning the art of scapegoating from Tshisekedi.