Rwanda says a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) violated her airspace in the morning hours of Monday, November 7, and briefly touched down at Rubavu Airport in Western Province. The incident, according to a communique from the Office of the Government Spokesperson (OGS), happened at around 11:20 am. “No military action was taken by Rwanda in response, and the jet returned to DRC,” the communique reads in part. According to the same notice, the DRC Government acknowledged the incident. “Rwandan authorities have protested this provocation to the DRC Government, who acknowledged the incident.” Bilateral ties between Rwanda and DR Congo continue to deteriorate despite established frameworks by the region and beyond to mend the ties. Just recently, Foreign Affairs ministers of DR Congo, Angola and Rwanda agreed to accelerate efforts towards implementing the ‘roadmap on the pacification process in the eastern region of DR Congo’ that was agreed on by the Presidents of Angola, DR Congo, and Rwanda in July. Kinshasa government also recently expelled Rwanda’s Ambassador, Vincent Karega – a decision Kigali described as not only ‘regrettable’, but also increased efforts to ‘cover up and distract from their own governance and security failures.” Rwanda has previously reiterated its accusations toward DR Congo of embedding the genocidal outfit- FDLR- into its national army and shelling on her territory. FDLR is home to the remnants of the forces that committed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which claimed more than a million lives. Meanwhile, DR Congo has also, in response, accused Rwanda of supporting M23, an accusation that the government has vehemently denied.
