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Maj. Gen. Aloys Nzabampema
BUJUMBURA — Burundi’s FNL rebels have resurfaced with a call for armed struggle against President Évariste Ndayishimiye, marking a significant return to the political and military scene by a group that had been largely inactive.
The re-emergence comes as new videos purportedly showing FNL commander Maj Gen. Aloys Nzabampema and his fighters have begun circulating on social media.
The videos appear to show the rebels in a dense forest. The location is said to be in the Hauts Plateaux mountain region of South Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where Nzabampema has previously operated.
In one of the videos, Nzabampema is seen seated alongside several senior commanders while reading a statement.
Another shows the commander dancing with other members of the group to a song in Kirundi.
The authenticity and precise location of the videos could not be independently verified.
The videos have emerged alongside a new statement attributed to Nzabampema, who identifies himself as chief of staff of FNL-Ubugabo Burihabwa.
The statement, circulated on Aug. 10, calls on fighters, young people and other Burundians to unite and use force to remove the government of Ndayishimiye and the ruling CNDD-FDD party.
The statement says the FNL remains committed to what it calls the “liberation” of Burundi. It also calls on opposition groups to come together and discuss a common strategy.
The FNL accuses Ndayishimiye’s government of authoritarian rule and claims that Burundi has effectively become a one-party state. It also accuses the government of weakening opposition parties and persecuting Burundians who fled the country.
The group alleges that the number of people in detention has risen sharply. It also accuses the government of using state security forces to advance the interests of the CNDD-FDD.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
The FNL also accuses the government of sending members of the Imbonerakure, the CNDD-FDD youth wing, to fight in Congo. It claims some Burundian soldiers have resisted orders given to them.
The group’s statement was reportedly issued on Aug. 8 from Rukoko, near Bujumbura. It specifically calls on opponents of the government to join an armed campaign.
“FNL is taking this opportunity to call on all those opposed to the government of Burundi to come together and fight the CNDD-FDD government using the gun,” the statement says.
The renewed activity is significant because the FNL has been largely quiet in recent years.
Its latest statements and the appearance of purported new videos suggest an effort to put the group back on Burundi’s political and security map.
The group has a history of operating from eastern Congo. In 2022, Nzabampema denied reports that Burundian and Congolese forces had driven his fighters from positions in South Kivu.
The latest developments also come as Burundi faces economic pressures, including fuel shortages, and prepares for another political cycle.
The Burundian government had not publicly responded to the latest FNL statement at the time of reporting.
President Ndayishimiye recently told the BBC that the country’s next elections would be conducted transparently.
The latest declaration does not establish that the FNL has launched a new military campaign inside Burundi.
But after years of relative silence, the group’s renewed call for armed struggle, combined with the circulation of purported videos showing its commander and fighters, marks a notable development in Burundi’s security landscape.
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