Since December 2025, many trucks carrying different types of weapons have reportedly entered Burundi, raising concerns that the country could be preparing for a large-scale war.
When these weapons first began entering the country, it was believed they would be used in the conflict in South Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Burundi has been involved militarily.
According to human rights activist Pacifique Nininahazwe, the weapons were transported from the Port of Mombasa in Kenya, passing through Tanzania before reaching Burundi.
However, since the beginning of this week, the movement of these trucks has raised serious questions, suggesting that the weapons may not be intended only for the war in eastern DRC.
Nininahazwe, who leads the organization FOCODE, stated that on April 10, 2026, 23 trucks loaded with weapons entered Burundi. He explained that Kenyan soldiers escorted them to the Tanzanian border, after which Tanzanian soldiers accompanied them to the Kobero border crossing.
He said that once the trucks arrived at Kobero in Burundi, Burundian soldiers escorted them to the Mukoni military camp, where they remained without being unloaded.
Nininahazwe, who is known for having reliable sources within Burundi’s security services, also revealed that on April 13 the drivers were instructed to return the trucks to the Tanzanian border for reasons that remain unclear.
He further explained that another 60 trucks had previously entered Burundi and continued toward Bujumbura and Gitega. However, they were also ordered back to the Kobero border. In total, 83 trucks are now reportedly lined up in the Kinazi area of Muyinga Commune, near the Tanzanian border.
Nininahazwe shared a 25-second video on social media showing many trucks parked in a long line in Kinazi, claiming they are the same vehicles carrying the weapons.
He said, “Those coming from Kobero or heading there can see the trucks where they are parked. They are all loaded with weapons that were said to belong to Burundi but are now being secretly returned to Tanzania.”
Reports indicate that the trucks have been parked in Kinazi since April 16, while the drivers wait for Tanzanian soldiers to escort them across the border toward the port of Tanga. Their final destination remains unknown.
Although the purpose of these trucks remains unclear, Burundi has previously been accused of purchasing weapons in suspicious circumstances. In 2009, a United Nations report revealed that the country bought 40,000 rifles from Malaysia, claiming they were intended for the police.
An investigation later showed that Burundi had fewer than 20,000 police officers at the time, raising questions about the remaining weapons.
Some of those weapons were reportedly sent to the armed group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which opposes the government of Rwanda. In exchange, the group allegedly provided minerals taken from eastern DRC.
Currently, other reports claim that the Burundian government is trying to mobilize Rwandans living in Europe who oppose the Rwandan government, with the aim of forming a coalition that could launch an attack on Rwanda in the future and attempt to change its leadership.
These reports also suggest that Burundi’s ambassador to Belgium, Thérence Ntahiraja, has been tasked with gathering these Rwandans, some of whom describe themselves as political refugees.
