# Burundi Intelligence to track phones with UAE tech

- Link: https://www.military.africa/2021/03/burundi-intelligence-to-track-phones-with-uae-tech/
- Published: 2021-03-13T11:35:26+01:00
- Author: Kazim Abdul

Even with tensions between Rwanda and Burundi steadily decreasing since last year,
Burundian government is still suspicious about certain Rwandan clandestine activities.

Since early this year, Burundi secret services -the National Intelligence Service(
SNR), hired UAE security systems specialist Al Hamra to provide mobile phone tracking
system, and other monitoring tools for counterintelligence purposes.

Burundi is believed to be threatened by recent Rwandan espionage activities particularly
as both side still believes that the other is supportive of its opponents.

UAE defense and security company Al Hamra Trading Establishment which specializes
on defense, security, intelligence and counter-intelligence, will provide tailor-
made espionage solutions as well as support and training for the Burundian intelligence
service.

Relations between Burundi and Rwanda nose-dived in 2015, when conflict broke out
in Burundi and the late Pierre Nkurunziza accused Rwanda of backing the dissidents,
a claim denied by Kigali.

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The tensions between both countries rose to the highest in December 2018, when Burundian
President Pierre Nkuruziza called for a special regional summit on what he described
as an ‘open conflict’ with Rwanda.

In a letter leaked to the media within that period, President Nkuruziza accused 
Rwanda of being the origin of the crisis that Burundi has been going through since
April, 2015. The letter dated December 4 and addressed to Ugandan President Yoweri
Museveni maintained that Rwanda recruited and supported Burundian refugees who tried
to destabilize Burundi.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been mediating between
both Central African neighbors.

Burundi has been in a political crisis since Nkurunziza declared his intention to
seek a third term, with more than 150,000 Burundian refugees living in camps in 
Tanzania, many of whom fled the violence.

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In a response, Rwandan President Paul Kagame told the media in early 2019 that “
for Burundi, the situation is simpler and clearer. For example, Burundi has publicly
stated that Rwanda is its only problem. People make their own judgment. Let’s imagine
that Rwanda does not exist. Would Burundi not be having problems?

“There are people charged with responsibilities for Burundi: Mkapa as facilitator,
and President Museveni as mediator, and other East Africans, who have not come up
with much success.

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“They would have said that they have found out that Burundi does not have any problems—
that the problem comes from outside,” Kagame asserted.

However, in October last year, Rwanda and Burundi agreed to start talks to end tensions
between the neighbors. Rwanda’s top diplomat Vincent Biruta met his Burundian counterpart
Albert Shingiro at the Nemba-Gasenyi border point as part of efforts to kickstart
efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral issues.

The foreign ministers reinstated the need to revitalize the historical relations
between the two countries. “This meeting is part of a shared desire to assess the
state of bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and to agree 
on the modalities of their normalization,” the diplomats said in a joint statement.

They said that their respective governments agreed on the need to continue dialogue
and normalize relations. However, till date not much have been reported about the
dialogue.

Since 2019,serious human rights violations and abuses still persists in Burundi,
with politically motivated attacks on opponents in the run-up to the 2020 election
says Amnesty International.

“There were severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and association.
Media workers, political opponents and human rights defenders were among those particularly
targeted. Members of the Imbonerakure (the ruling party’s youth wing) were suspected
to be the main perpetrators of violations and abuses, as well as the National Intelligence
Service (SNR) and police.” Amnesty International adds.

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