KIGALI — President Paul Kagame has rejected clai

“I don’t tell lies like he did to me,” saod Kagame, this Monday, about Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye (in photo above)

ms by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye that Rwanda failed to honour commitments made during engagements between the two countries, saying Kigali had never made a commitment to Burundi that it did not fulfil.

“There is no commitment we ever made that we did not fulfill, not with the president of Burundi, or anybody else” Kagame said during a press conference on August 24, 2026.

Kagame was responding to a question about Ndayishimiye’s recent comments concerning relations between the two neighbours and the handling of suspects wanted by Burundi.

The Rwandan Head of State said he could not identify the commitment Ndayishimiye was referring to, but recalled one specific episode in which he said the Burundian leader had given him assurances that turned out not to match events on the ground.

Kagame Recalls Burundi Troop Deployment

Kagame said that, at one point, Rwanda received intelligence that Burundian forces were moving into North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said he personally contacted Ndayishimiye to ask whether Burundi was deploying troops there.

“I said, “I assume that I have heard there are forces of Burundi going to North Kivu‘…..,” Kagame recalled.

According to Kagame, Ndayishimiye denied that such a deployment was taking place and told him to verify the information.

“He insisted. He told me I should check, I should cross-check my information,” Kagame said.

Kagame said that weeks later, Burundian forces were captured in North Kivu, contradicting the assurances he said he had received.

“A couple of weeks after, they were captured in North Kivu,” Kagame said.

He added: “I don’t tell lies like he did to me.”

Kagame said he therefore did not know which specific meeting, commitment or agreement Ndayishimiye was referring to when he claimed Rwanda had failed to honour its commitments.

“I don’t know which meeting or commitment or whatever he’s referring to,” Kagame said.

Long-Running Dispute Over Suspects

The exchange comes against a long history of disagreements between Kigali and Bujumbura over security and the activities of armed groups.

Burundi has previously demanded that Rwanda extradite people it accuses of involvement in the failed 2015 coup attempt against Ndayishimiye’s predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza.

Rwanda has rejected allegations that it supports Burundian armed groups. In December 2023, the Rwandan government said there was “no truth whatsoever” in Ndayishimiye’s allegation that Rwanda supported Burundian rebels operating from eastern DRC.