Burundi's President Seeks Economic Ties With Russia - Meanwhile 731 Burundians Signed Contracts With Its Army

Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who chairs the African Union, thanked Vladimir Putin and invited Russian companies to invest in Burundi and other African countries in a speech at the Russia-Africa forum in Moscow. He spoke at a plenary session on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Next day "I Want to Live" project published a list of 731 Burundian citizens who signed contracts with Russia's armed forces. The full list is available below: 

Names are transliterated from Russian records into English - minor spelling variations may apply.

Earlier this year, the project also published a list of 485 Africans killed in Russia's army, which included seven Burundians.

The List Points to Mounting Russian Recruitment in Burundi in 2026

The list gives a contract signing date for every entry, and most of them are recent. The dates run from October 14, 2024 to September 24, 2026, but only 33 of the 731 contracts (about 5%) were signed before 2026. The largest groups in 2025 were eight men each, who signed on February 15 and April 24. The other 698 contracts were signed in 2026, and 603 of them, about 82% of the whole list, were signed between June 1 and September 24: 157 in June, 105 in July, 173 in August and 168 in September. Signings came in large batches, with 37 contracts on June 19 alone, 20 on August 8, and 18 each on June 27 and August 1. The dates are those given in the list and do not show when the men arrived in Russia or reached the front. The data indicates that Russian recruitment in Burundi is mounting.

What President Said in Moscow

In his address to the Russia-Africa forum Évariste Ndayishimiye begins by thanking Putin, the Russian government and the Russian people for their welcome and the organisation of the forum. He says the forum opens amid economic uncertainty, that no country or continent can act alone, and that partnerships should be more balanced and based on mutual respect, trust and shared interests.

Ndayishimiye says Africa should take part in global economic decisions not as a mere source of raw materials or a consumer market, but as a full actor in production, processing and innovation. He calls for a partnership with Russia that goes beyond the traditional exchange of raw materials, with local processing, industrialisation, technology transfer, skills development and job creation, and for more investment in industry, energy, infrastructure and transport, easier market access and the removal of unjustified trade barriers. He also speaks of cooperation within the BRICS framework on trade, payment systems, logistics corridors and insurance.

Leaders Seek Ties With Putin While Their Citizens Are Used as Cannon Fodder

Ndayishimiye is one of a number of African leaders who came to Moscow seeking closer cooperation with Putin. KTN reported that at least 30 African delegations had confirmed their participation in the summit, with at least 17 African heads of state expected in person. At the same time, Africans recruited by Russia are used as cannon fodder in the most dangerous places on the front, deployed with no training and often deceived about the nature of the job before they come to Russia. The lucky ones survive because they manage to surrender to Ukrainian forces.

A Safe Way Out

Burundians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.