Rwanda / DRC: In turn, Kigali accuses Kinshasa

“The plane immediately returned to the DRC. The Rwandan authorities have once again protested to the Congolese government against the violations of airspace by Congolese fighter jets,” Rwandan government spokesman Alain Mukuralinda said in a statement. Already in early November, the Rwandan government claimed that a Congolese fighter jet had violated its airspace. This new episode comes at a time of tension between the two countries.

The Congolese government has been facing an offensive by M23 (“March 23 Movement”) rebels in eastern territory for the past year. Moreover, the resumption of hostilities has revived historic tensions between the two countries. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting M23 rebels, active in eastern DRC. These accusations have always been denied by Rwanda.

Following the UN, several Western chancelleries have openly asked Kigali in recent days to stop its support for the M23 rebels who announced last week their withdrawal from positions in the town of Kibumba, located a few kilometers from the strategic city of Goma, in eastern DRC.

They had promised that they would cede control of the city to a regional military force of the East African Community (EAC). On December 24, the Congolese army called the announcement a “red herring.”

The rise in tensions between the two neighbours is hardly surprising.

Miss OLY