RED-Tabara

Resistance for Rule of Law in Burundi (French: Résistance pour un État de Droit au Burundi, Abbreviation: RED-Tabara) is a Burundian rebel militia that was formed in 2015 in the wake of the political crisis in the country.[1][2] The group opposes the political control of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy and former president Pierre Nkurunziza and is allied with a number of other opposition groups, including the Popular Forces of Burundi.

Since February 12, 2016, Melchiade Biremba has been the leader of the group.[3] In an interview to Jeune Afrique, Biremba explained the goals of the organization:

[T]he motives which pushed us to take up arms are the same as those which pushed Nkurunziza himself to enter into rebellion in 1994: absence of democracy and justice, no rule of law.

— Melchiade Biremba, Burundi – Melchiade Biremba : « On ne peut pas défendre la démocratie avec des belles paroles », [4]

While many members of the group were former members of Alexis Sinduhije's Movement for Solidarity and Democracy, both Sinduhije and Biremba deny any connection between RED-Tabara and the party. [3][5][6]

  1. ^ "Nouveau mouvement armé au Burundi | Afrique | DW.COM | 18.01.2016". DW.COM. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  2. ^ "Burundi: un groupe d'opposition appelle à la "résistance armée"". RTBF Info. 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  3. ^ a b "Burundi - Melchiade Biremba : " On ne peut pas défendre la démocratie avec des belles paroles " - JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  4. ^ "Burundi – Melchiade Biremba : « On ne peut pas défendre la démocratie avec des belles paroles »". jeuneafrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  5. ^ Nkurunziza, Jean-Baptiste; Anyadike, Obi (7 June 2016). "Briefing – who's who in Burundi's armed opposition". Refworld. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Alexis Sinduhije dément être à la tête d'une rébellion – DW – 13/01/2016". dw.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-04.