This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
Published on August 24, 2019, by MOSES HAVYARIMANA, The EastAfrican's author.
Residents of Bugabira Commune in Kirundo Province, Burundi's northern border with Rwanda, have been blocked from crossing into Rwanda for family visits or to work in farms, a stark contrast to the decades of integration between the two communities.
For years, the Bugabira community on both sides of the border had been intertwined, with many intermarriages and a strong social bond. However, the deterioration of relations between Burundi and Rwanda has made it a crime to attend a relative's funeral across the border.
The economic impact of the strained relations is also evident, with Burundi banning the export of fruit and vegetables to Rwanda in 2017 and terminating public transport services between Kigali and Bujumbura, affecting the incomes of many citizens of both nations.
Travellers between the two cities have resorted to hiring private cars to the border, from where they take public transport to their final destinations.
The relations between the two countries soured in 2015, when protests erupted in Burundi against President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term in office. Burundi accused Rwanda of masterminding the 2015 failed coup, a charge Rwanda denied.
Rwanda has also accused Burundi of sheltering FDLR rebels, who are accused of committing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
When asked about the current relations between the countries, Burundi's First Vice-President Gaston Sindimwo said, 'Rwanda and Burundi are two sister countries, who speak the same language and have the same culture. You know, siblings sometimes have misunderstandings.'
He added, 'They (Rwanda) are our neighbours. You can choose your friend but you can't choose your neighbour, that's why we hope that the relations will improve progressively because now the situation is calm.'
Mr Sindimwo emphasized that resolving the standoff with Rwanda is Burundi's wish and that his country would like to normalise the situation, 'because Burundi needs Rwanda and Rwanda needs Burundi and that will come progressively. That's our objective as a country.'
Last December, Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza asked the East African Community leadership to convene an extraordinary summit to address the differences between Burundi and Rwanda.
He said, 'We want the EAC to intervene because the matter involves armed groups...People are getting killed and it shouldn't be taken lightly.'
President Nkurunziza also stated, 'Burundi does not harbour bad intentions; Rwanda does, and we will continue to say it.'
Rwanda has repeatedly denied allegations that it is meddling in Burundi's politics, with Rwandan President Paul Kagame recently saying Bujumbura has repeatedly provoked Kigali.
