Burundian Military Losses in DRC: The Difficulty of Keeping It Secret

On January 23, 2025, the military hospital of Kamenge, north of Bujumbura, reported 81 Burundian soldiers injured and 19 dead following clashes with M23 in the DRC. This number evolves daily. The Burundian army recently buried Lieutenant Patience Gapara, killed in North Kivu. His body was resting at the Kamenge military hospital, where military intelligence agents were deployed to monitor any movement and prevent the local press from taking photos. This heightened security was visible during funeral ceremonies at the Mpanda cemetery in Bubanza province and at the officers' mess of the Bujumbura garrison.

According to medical sources, the Kamenge military hospital currently has 81 wounded and 19 dead, awaiting burial. The bodies are those of soldiers repatriated in critical condition or deceased on the battlefield. Several soldiers are buried discreetly, without informing their families. A single funeral service company organizes the funerals of Burundian soldiers who died in Congo. Many bodies are buried early in the morning, before 6 a.m., without notifying the families. Families often learn the news from other soldiers. A parent from Cibitoke, who recently lost a son in Congo, told Africa Security Analysis: "We trust them and decide to mourn because we cannot confront the government to show us the bodies of our relatives." He claims to know at least five other families in the same situation.