Fraught relations between Rwanda and DR Congo continue to worsen, with the list of provocative incidents growing.
On Tuesday, January 24, a Sukhoi-25 from DR Congo violated Rwanda’s airspace. It was the third time a Congolese warplane had violated Rwanda’s airspace in three months.
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Unlike the first two incidents in November and December, on the third incursion Rwanda took "defensive measures” and shot at the warplane.
In addition to other incidents, such as rocket shells and the expulsion of Rwanda’s ambassador, the warplane incursion is the ninth provocative incident by Kinshasa.
Below is the timeline of the warplane incursions and what the two governments had to say.
November 7, 2022
At around 11:20am, on Monday, November 7, a Sukhoi-25 fighter belonging to the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) violated the Rwandan airspace, briefly touching at the Rubavu airport, before it returned to DR Congo.
No military action was taken by Rwanda in response, the Rwandan government said in a statement.
The Congolese government later admitted its warplane had violated Rwanda’s airspace and that the incident happened "accidentally.”
The government of Rwanda on the same day sent a note verbale to Kinshasa in protest of the incursion and a series of other previous provocations.
December 28, 2022
At around 12p.m, on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, another Congolese Sukhoi-25 fighter jet violated Rwanda’s airspace over Lake Kivu and immediately returned to the other side of the border.
In a statement, Kigali protested against the incident, noting that the "repeated violations” were against the spirit of Luanda and Nairobi peace processes.
However, in a statement it released on December 29, the Congolese government said two Sukhoi aircrafts hovered over Lake Kivu within the Congolese territory and none did fly over the Rwandan airspace.
January 24, 2023
At around 17p.m, on Tuesday, January 24, for the third time, a Congolese Sukhoi fighter jet entered the Rwandan territory and Rwanda shot at it. In a brief statement, the Office of the Government Spokesperson said "defensive measures were taken,” adding that "Rwanda asks DR Congo to stop this aggression.”
In a statement published later on Tuesday, the DR Congo government denied violating the Rwandan airspace and instead called the incident "an attack by the Rwandan army on its fighter plane in Congolese airspace.”
The statement said the warplane "landed without major material damage,” and that Kinshasa "will not be threatened.”