The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has denounced this Tuesday a new incursion by the Rwandan military in the context of the latest fighting with the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), accusations that it has supported with images captured with drone on these supposed troop movements.
The spokesperson for the Congolese Executive, Patrick Muyaya, has indicated that the images demonstrate Kigali’s role in “a new incursion” in support of the M23, which over the weekend took control of the town of Kitshanga, located in the east of the African country.
Likewise, it has denounced “serial massacres” in several towns, after around 30 people died and several homes were burned in an attack blamed on the M23 against the town of Tongo, as reported by the Congolese news portal Actualité.
For their part, the Rwandan authorities have reported that a civilian was injured on Monday after being hit by a stray bullet in the context of the fighting in eastern DRC, while showing their “deep concern” about the “collaboration” between the Congolese Army and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
“Rwanda is deeply concerned by the support and collaboration of the Congolese Government to the FDLR – an armed rebel group founded and composed mainly of Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda -, other illegal armed groups and foreign mercenaries, who are increasing their actions provocative actions on the border with Rwanda, in violation of the Luanda and Nairobi processes,” he said, as reported by the Rwandan newspaper ‘The New Times’.
The M23 is a rebel group made up mainly of Congolese Tutsis and operates mainly in the province of North Kivu. After a conflict between 2012 and 2013, DRC and the group signed a peace agreement in December. In these battles, the Congolese Army had the support of United Nations troops.
The group launched a new offensive in October 2022, which intensified in November, which caused a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda due to its role in the conflict and has caused concern in the region over the possibility of a conflict breaking out between the two. countries.
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