Rwanda’s Defense Ministry: Rwandan Forces Killed DRC Soldier Who Crossed Border

Rwanda’s Defense Ministry on Friday said a Congolese soldier, who crossed the border and shot at security forces, was shot dead by Rwandan forces on Friday, resulting in a brief exchange of fire between the two sides, reported The East African.

The ministry said that the firing took place at the border on Friday evening when a Congolese soldier entered western Rwanda from the Grande Barriere border post, outside the Goma city, and fired at Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) soldiers.

“The RDF soldiers returned fire, killing the FARDC soldier on the Rwandan side of the border. Several other FARDC soldiers fired at the RDF position resulting in a brief exchange of fire,” Rwanda’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

It added that the situation is now calm, noting that many similar incidents have occurred in the past.

As per reports, the DRC officials have not given commented on the firing incident, which follows similar incidents along the border in June and November last year.

The fighting in the DR Congo’s North Kivu province has displaced thousands of people and exacerbated regional tensions. The DRC government continues to accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which is waging its most sustained offensive since capturing swathes of territory in 2012-13. The United Nations (UN), the United States (US), France, and other countries have also made similar allegations. Rwanda’s government, however, denies all the accusations and says it is being scapegoated for Congo’s military incompetence.

The M23 militia group re-emerged in late 2021, subsequently occupying large swathes of territory in North Kivu.

The East African Community (EAC), which has held several meetings to put an end to the crisis and called for the withdrawal of the M23 from occupied areas, created a regional force aimed at stabilizing the eastern DRC. But last month, thousands of people demonstrated against the EAC force, accusing it of passivity in the face of armed groups.