Attachments
Date when the trigger was met
9-12-2025
What happened, where and when?
The resurgence of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since early December 2025 intensified during the week of 7 December, triggering further large-scale population movements to neighboring countries, particularly Burundi. This escalation is part of a more general deterioration of the situation in eastern DRC, which has already caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people within the country and to neighboring countries.
According to data from the National Society and its partners (aligned with those of UNHCR/authorities), Burundi received more than 40,000 asylum seekers from eastern DRC between February and mid-2025. More than 20,000 of them were transferred to the Musenyi site in Rutana, while others chose to return to DRC when the situation temporarily stabilized, contributing to a partial reduction in the number of asylum seekers at the end of 2025.
Since early December, however, a new massive influx has been observed, reversing this trend. Between 6 and 8 December 2025, most of the new arrivals were concentrated in Bukinanyana (northwestern Burundi), leading to the rapid establishment of a reception site in Ndava, on Kansega Hill, to manage this sudden influx and provide immediate assistance.
From 9 December, an equally large number of people fleeing the hostilities were reported at the Gatumba border post in western Burundi, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where new arrivals are being held at the Gatumba police station pending registration, orientation, and further assistance. Other entry points have also emerged: some asylum seekers are crossing Lake Tanganyika and arriving near the Olympic Stadium in the Ngabwe (formerly Nyabugete) neighborhood of Bujumbura, while others are entering further south via Rumonge, particularly through the port of Rumonge.