Rwanda’s Military Accuses DR Congo’s Forces Of Cross-Border Shelling

Rwanda’s military has accused the forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of injuring several civilians in cross-border shelling and urged regional monitors to urgently investigate the incident, reported DW News.

In a statement, the Rwandan military said rocket shells landed in the northern Musanze district, which borders Congo, injuring several civilians and damaging property. The shelling took place on Monday morning and lasted for 21 minutes, it said, without giving further details.

Rwanda’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had asked the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism, a team of military experts from the region that monitors and investigates security incidents, to investigate the incident. The statement added that those injured are receiving treatment and officials are assessing the extent of the damage.

“The RDF (Rwanda Defence Forces) has requested for urgent investigation by the regional EJVM, and Rwandan authorities are also engaging DRC counterparts over the incident,” the ministry added in the statement.

The Congolese army is yet to respond to the allegations.

It is feared that the alleged incident could further disrupt relations between the two countries, which have long traded accusations about support for militant groups. The relations between Rwanda and the DRC started to turn sour after the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Some of those accused of involvement in the killings of an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda has since set up militias in eastern Congo.

Rwanda has been accused of backing the M23, a mainly ethnic Tutsi rebel group that emerged during that period, but Kigali has denied the accusations.

Tensions have been heightened in the region since March when the M23 militia attacked two Congolese army positions near the borders with Uganda and Rwanda and advanced on nearby towns.

The militant group was driven out by Congolese and United Nations forces in 2013, but, they have since returned from neighboring countries to stage attacks.