DRC Military Accuses Rwanda Of Sending Disguised Troops Across Border

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) armed forces have accused Rwanda of sending Special Forces in disguise into the country’s territory, reported Reuters.

In a statement issued on Thursday, DRC’s military alleged that 500 Rwandan soldiers had been deployed in the Tshanzu area in North Kivu province, which borders Rwanda.

“Since the arrest of soldiers of the Rwandan special force in the territory of Rutshuru, North Kivu, Rwanda has changed the dress of its soldiers to conceal its presence in Congolese territory alongside the M23 terrorists,” said General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesman for the military governor of North Kivu, on Wednesday.

As per the statement, the disguised soldiers donned a green-black uniform that is different from the regular Rwandan apparel. It called on the local population to be cautious and inform anyone seen in such clothing to the military.

The statement added that M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Kigali, had attacked a group of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces in the Rutshuru area, also in North Kivu, injuring three Tanzanian peacekeepers.

According to a report published by the Reuters news agency, a spokesman for Rwanda’s army has said that the claims made by the Congo military were false.

The statement adds to the escalating dispute between the DRC and Rwanda over resurgent violence in the east.

Kinshasa has accused Kigali of supporting the M23 rebel group, which in recent weeks has been waging its most sustained offensive in eastern DRC since capturing vast swaths of territory there in 2012-13.

 Kinshasa has suspended flights of Rwandan airline RwandAir between the two countries and summoned Rwanda’s ambassador to warn him of the country’s position.

On Sunday, the DRC President Felix Tshisekedi also accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, who have been involved in a series of clashes with the army since the end of May.