Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo shamelessly fails to deny or agree that Rwanda is meddling in neighbouring Burundi’s political crisis.

Rwanda has dismissed accusations it was meddling in neighbouring Burundi’s political crisis, with Kigali’s foreign minister saying Rwanda only wanted peace. Accordingly Minister Louise Mushikiwabo Burundi problem is emanating from within Burundi.

“Burundi’s problem is not Rwanda’s, Burundi’s problem is Burundi’s,” Louise Mushikiwabo told reporters in Kigali late Thursday. “We believe, as leadership, that when leaders take decisions they should be able to live with the consequences of the decisions.”

Unfortunately consequences are not domestic but doctored, planed and implemented in Kigali under the direct supervision of the Rwandan Head of State.  Although the grip on power and violation of the Burundi Constitution was the precursor of the current crisis, Rwandan took the advantage of this fragile situation to meddle in Burundi political affairs.

Indeed, Burundi, where a 13-year civil war ended in 2006, has been rocked by violence since April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza launched his now successful but highly controversial bid for a third term in power.

While Rwanda’s Kagame has manipulated his Parliament to change the Constitution so that he can seek for the third term after his constitutional mandate ends in 2017, his direct attack to his Burundi counterpart has worsened the relations between Rwanda and Burundi.

How can Minister Mushikiwabo say that they wish peace to Burundi when all the former military officers and political opposition who are fighting the Burundi government are sheltered in Kigali Hotels?

“Our wish is for Burundi to be peaceful, for those who’ve sought refuge in Rwanda to repatriate, and for the region to advance,” Mushikiwabo added.

As I have mentioned above, the Rwandan capital Kigali has become a refuge for many opposition and civil society activists — as well as dissidents from Nkurunziza’s ruling party.

Burundi however goes a step further, claiming that rebel forces — set up by mutinous soldiers after a failed coup in May — are also there and enjoying Rwandan support.

But Kigali said it does not want to be drawn into the accusations. However, Minister Mushikiwabo, has publicly admitted that they will continue to welcome all the Burundi people who come to Rwanda irrespective of their motive.

“We are not in the logic of exchanging accusations and denials,” Mushikiwabo said.

“It’s not that we’ve kept quiet, we want them (Burundians) to solve their own problems, and after we shall talk about our relations,” she added.

Tightly-controlled Rwanda — which has a similar ethnic makeup to Burundi — is seen as a safe place for those who oppose the government in Bujumbura.

The people of Rwanda and Burundi have close ties, and have taken turns sheltering in their neighbour when trouble spiked, including during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and Burundi’s 1993-2006 civil war. Rwanda now hosts over 70,000 refugees from Burundi.

“Refugees are highly politicized, and what we’re trying to avoid is that the problems and tensions that exist at the level of Burundi, are transferred on Rwandan territory,” she added. Unfortunately, the actions of the Rwandan government are doing the opposite; the continued support of the fighters who want to overthrow the Burundi government will inevitably spill over to Rwanda