A Tanzanian official said he had not attended the talks in Dar es Salaam, and had left to return to Burundi. But Niyombare said the capital's airport and all border crossings were closed.

“Bujumbura (capital of Burundi), which is our final destination,” I answered, looking forward to my first time there. He looked surprised, and asked: “What are you going to do there?

The M23 appears in recent days to have paused its offensive as it approaches Uvira, a town located northwest of Lake Tanganyika and facing Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi. Burundi's ...