by PETER DÖRRIE

On the night of Dec. 30, 200 rebels crossed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Burundi, close to the town of Cibitoke.

The rebels’ plan? Infiltrate past the border and vanish into the forests — where they’d prepare for a long insurgency during the country’s upcoming elections.

They never made it. While crossing the border, the rebels collided with the Burundian army. The ensuing firefight lasted five days.

Burundi’s troops gained the upper hand, according to press reports. Soldiers killed 95 rebels and took nine others into custody, according to an army spokesman.

Burundian troops also captured a 60-millimeter mortar, five rocket launchers and more than 100 assault rifles of unspecified type. Officially, two soldiers died in the firefight. But the AFP quoted an anonymous military source who said the rebels killed up to a dozen members of the armed forces.

Local witnesses corroborated these statements in broad terms.

Burundian rebel attacks are not unusual. But what’s noteworthy is how quickly and decisively Burundi’s army suppressed an incursion of this size.

The central African country has a long history of political violence. The government has not released the identity of the rebel group, but it’s unlikely these were completely inexperienced fighters.

Several army battalions which engaged the rebels previously served as peacekeepers in Somalia—bringing with them combat experience and sophisticated training from international partners.

But the incident also puts a spotlight on Burundi’s political process. Several sources indicate the rebels intended to traverse Burundi’s border region to set up shop in the Kibira forest, an area that has served as a base of operations for many domestic insurgencies over the years.

Col. Gaspard Baratuza, Burundi’s military spokesperson, says the rebels wanted to “recruit, disseminate the movement’s ideology, before starting attacks in the run-up to the elections in May 2015.”

Burundi’s local and national parliamentary elections in May—and the presidential ballot in June—are among the most closely watched upcoming elections in Sub-Saharan Africa.