Benjamin Babunga, the Congolese humanitarian worker held hostage by the TSHISEKEDI and NDAYISHIMIYE Alliance

Benjamin Babunga Watuna was arrested on 27 May 2026 (some sources cite 26 May) in Bujumbura, Burundi, by the Burundian intelligence services (SNR). This arrest took place whilst he was on a humanitarian mission, on suspicion of collaborating with the AFC/M23 movement, at the request of the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

It should be noted that Benjamin Babunga is a Congolese humanitarian living in Belgium. He grew up and spent several years in Burundi, and during his professional career in humanitarian work, he has worked in several West African countries, including Niger.

He is also passionate about history, particularly that of the Great Lakes region. On various social media platforms, he is known for his objective analyses, particularly regarding current affairs in the DRC, his country of origin.

His uncompromising analyses have on several occasions earned him insults and other attacks from supporters of the Kinshasa regime, who tend to label anyone who does not subscribe to their narrative on the crisis in the DRC as a ‘Rwandan’ and a ‘traitor’.

It was precisely in this context that he was arrested in Burundi, on suspicion of having links to the AFC/M23 political-military movement. ​This arrest comes at a time when Burundi is an ally of Kinshasa in the war in the east of the DRC.

Burundian troops are fighting alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and are accused of several massacres and abuses against the civilian population, particularly Congolese Tutsis.

However, this apolitical humanitarian worker has never provided support to the AFC/M23 or to any other political faction in the DRC. His arrest was carried out at the request of the authorities in Kinshasa who had, moreover, sought his extradition had it not been for the strong pressure from public opinion on social media.

On 15 July, the chamber of council ordered Benjamin Babunga’s provisional release. Despite this, the humanitarian worker continues to be arbitrarily detained, as the Burundian regime does not wish to upset Kinshasa, its ally.

He has thus become, to this day, a hostage to the alliance between Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi. This agreement has enabled Kinshasa to extend its reach into Burundi to suppress any voices critical of its regime.

Benjamin Babunga’s arrest is not an isolated case. In the recent past, Zambia has also allowed Kinshasa to hunt down Katangan opposition figures in exile on its territory. One example is the case of Pastor Daniel Ngoy Mulunda, who was abducted in Zambia despite his refugee status and remains detained to this day in an unknown location, as well as Hugor Muteb now free after several months of detention and torture alongside around ten other detainees held in prisons in Kinshasa.

The most puzzling aspect of all this remains the silence of international and regional organisations in the face of the numerous cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, murders and other forms of human rights violations committed by Kinshasa and its Burundian ally.