DRC authorities have denied its troopers entered a impartial zone and opened hearth on Rwanda’s troops as tensions rise between the nations.
Rwanda’s military has stated its troops briefly exchanged hearth with troopers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at a border put up, as rigidity continues to spike between the neighbours.
In a press release on Wednesday, Kigali stated that 12 to 14 Congolese troopers entered the impartial zone close to the western district of Rusizi and opened hearth at a Rwandan border put up, in “an act of provocation”.
“Our safety forces responded and [the Congolese] troopers withdrew,” the assertion stated. “There have been no casualties on the Rwanda facet and the state of affairs is calm.”
In the meantime, Kinshasa has denied getting into the impartial zone and stated there have been clashes between its navy and a bunch of “bandits” close to the border in Bukavu.
“In no case did the [army] cross the impartial zone, not to mention open hearth within the route of Rwanda,” Theo Ngwabidje Kasi, governor of South Kivu province, stated in a press release.
He stated the accusations had been “a lie” and described the incident as an “altercation” involving an change of fireplace between the Congolese safety forces and “bandits,” who sustained one useless and one wounded.
“Rwanda’s tendency to wish to painting itself as a sufferer and stoke tensions by making false accusations reveals with none doubt its intention to assault South Kivu province, as is presently the case within the battle of aggression that it's finishing up in North Kivu,” he added.
Rising tensions
The incident happens in opposition to a backdrop of current tensions between the DRC and its smaller neighbour over an offensive within the japanese Congolese province of North Kivu.
Final month, Rwanda accused a Congolese fighter jet of violating its airspace close to Goma, a city on North Kivu’s border. The airplane got here beneath hearth however was capable of land safely in Goma.
Kinshasa described the assault on its plane as “a deliberate act of aggression that equals an act of battle” with the purpose of sabotaging regional peace efforts.
The DRC for months has accused Rwanda of supporting an armed insurgent group referred to as M23, that’s combating within the DRC’s east.
The battle in japanese DRC has gone on for many years, with greater than 100 armed teams combating for management of helpful mineral assets whereas others defend their communities, and has triggered an exodus of refugees.
Rwanda in flip accuses the DRC of supporting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), one other insurgent group primarily based within the DRC that has carried out raids into Rwanda previously.
The FDLR has been accused of participation within the 1994 Rwandan genocide, through which ethnic Hutus killed greater than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and average Hutus who tried to guard them.
Final yr, United Nations consultants stated that they had “substantial proof” of Rwandan authorities forces crossing into the DRC to strengthen M23 rebels or to conduct operations in opposition to the FDLR.
The USA and the European Union have urged Rwanda to cease supporting the rebels.
The Rwandan authorities has denied supporting M23 and says the accusations are a part of a “drained outdated blame sport” undermining efforts for peace, “to which Rwanda is absolutely dedicated”.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has stated DRC authorities ought to resolve their very own issues. In January he stated that the disaster within the DRC “isn't Rwanda’s drawback, and we're going to be sure that everyone realises it's not Rwanda’s drawback”.
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