The Rwandan government on Wednesday said a fighter jet from the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC) violated its airspace along Lake Kivu, amid increasing tensions between the two countries over rebels advancing in the eastern DRC, reported The Reuters.
In a statement, the government said a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) violated Rwandan airspace along Lake Kivu in the Western Province of Rwanda on Wednesday and immediately returned to the DRC.
The incident comes less than two months after another DRC fighter jet was accused of violating Rwanda’s airspace. In November, a DRC fighter jet briefly touched down at Rubavu Airport before returning back.
The statement said the repeated violations are against the spirit of Luanda and Nairobi peace initiatives under which both the countries had agreed on de-escalate tension and Rwanda demanded a halt to acts of provocations from the DRC.
“The authorities in the DR Congo seem to be emboldened by consistent coddling by some in the international community who repeatedly heap blame on Rwanda for any and all ills in the DR Congo, while ignoring the transgressions originating from DR Congo,” the statement said.
It said that such kind of provocations must stop.
The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, which has taken swathes of territory from the Congolese army under its control in recent months. Rwanda continues to deny the allegations, also supported by United Nations, the United States, Belgium and France.
The fighting between the DRC troops and the M23 has forced the East African Community (EAC) bloc to deploy a joint regional force to control the escalating violence.
Last week, the M23v rebels pulled out of the strategic town of Kibumba after heavy international pressure, saying it was a “goodwill gesture.”
But the Congolese army dismissed the withdrawal as a “sham” aimed at reinforcing the group’s positions elsewhere.
