The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has denied that one of its aircraft flew over Rwandan airspace on Wednesday, as denounced by Kigali, amidst an upsurge in bilateral tensions over fighting between the Congolese Army and the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23).
The Congolese Minister of Communication and Government spokesman, Patrick Muyaya, has stressed that «two of its Sukhoi aircraft made routine flights on December 28, 2022, following a previously defined route,» as reported by Radio Okapi.
«They flew over, among others, Lake Kivu, in Congolese airspace. The Rwandan government can in no way consider this aerial movement of the Congolese Armed Forces inside its national airspace as a provocation,» he concluded.
The Rwandan Executive said Wednesday in a statement that «a DRC Sukhoi-25 fighter violated Rwandan airspace around Lake Kivu and immediately returned to DRC.» «The Rwandan authorities have again protested to the DRC government about violations of its airspace by Congolese fighters,» it said.
In this regard, Kigali said that «the incident is part of numerous provocations by the DRC government towards Rwanda, including a similar violation on November 7, 2022, when a fighter of the same type briefly landed at Rubavu airport before taking off again bound for DRC.»
In that case, Kinshasa acknowledged the incident and apologized, although Kigali emphasized in its communiqué that «these repeated violations go against the spirit of the Luanda and Nairobi peace initiatives» aimed at ending the conflict between the Congolese Army and the M23.
«The DRC authorities seem to be incited by the constant indulgence of certain members of the international community who regularly accuse Rwanda of all evils in DRC, ignoring the latter’s transgressions. The provocations must stop,» he added.
Bilateral tensions have flared over fighting with the M23 as Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the rebels. UN experts said in a recent report that Rwandan authorities maintain a «direct intervention» in the African country through their support for the group.
The M23 has been accused since November 2021 of carrying out attacks against Army positions in North Kivu, despite Congolese authorities and the M23 signed in December 2013 a peace agreement following fighting since 2012 with the Army, which was supported by UN troops. UN experts accused Uganda and Rwanda of supporting the rebels, although both countries denied it.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)