Burundi: Surge in injured soldiers from congo reported at military hospitals

By The Inspirer.

Reports from Burundi confirm that the Kamenge military hospital, located in Bujumbura, has seen a surge in the number of soldiers injured in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Originally a hospital for civilians, Kamenge military hospital was asked to clear its usual patients in order to accommodate the growing number of injured soldiers. SOS Media Burundi reports that some patients who had been scheduled for surgery were asked to delay their procedures to make space for the new casualties.

A 60-year-old man told the newspaper, “I’ve been waiting for two weeks. Today, I was informed that the schedule has been canceled, and now I have to find another doctor.”

One patient explained, “These soldiers are in critical condition because they were brought in with severe injuries to their heads, arms, and legs.”

An injured soldier also shared his experience, saying that some of the wounded had been transferred to the intensive care unit after sustaining severe gunshot wounds from the M23 group. “Yesterday, two of us were sent to the ICU. We were heavily shot while fighting with the M23 group,” he said.

SOS Media Burundi highlighted that the hospital, which was initially built to treat civilians, is now focused on treating soldiers, including those under the age of 15. However, the exact number of injured soldiers receiving treatment has not been confirmed.

One doctor mentioned, “On Monday and Tuesday of this week, we received between 40 to 50 injured soldiers every day.”

Brigadier General Gaspard Baratuza, spokesperson for the Burundian military, recently stated that soldiers sent to fight in the DRC are dying because they are on the front lines, and anyone can die in various ways. He further emphasized that reports claiming Burundian soldiers in Congo are being defeated and killed are intended to demoralize the people of Burundi.

He said, “The numbers they send are meant to scare and intimidate you, the Burundians, making you believe, ‘Our children are dying.'”

He also explained that the military has a system in place to inform the families of soldiers who die in battle, and that these families are provided with support.

He denied accusations that Burundi is hiding information about its soldiers dying in Congo. “When someone passes away, they bring them back, whether they are in the Central African Republic, Somalia, or anywhere along our border. What is there to hide? There is nothing to hide,” he said.

Burundi sent soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of an agreement between both parties. This followed the initial deployment of the East African Community (EAC) force, which includes Kenyan troops, to offer support. However, the EAC force later decided to withdraw and return to their home countries.