Rwanda says it is reinforcing defensive and preventive mechanisms to guard against violations of the country’s airspace and borders, given its legitimate security concerns triggered by DR Congo's deliberate defiance of regional peace processes. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: A sequence of provocations against Rwanda This was revealed through a statement issued by the Office of the Government Spokesperson on Monday, February 27. The statement further echoed that DR Congo has opted for continued military escalation in recent months. In the context of increasingly bellicose statements by DR Congo's civilian and military leaders, the country is also deploying new hardware capabilities and foreign mercenaries in the common border area, the statement noted. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Kagame, EAC leaders meet in Addis The communique also touched on the repeated failure by the international community to condemn the DR Congo government for the preservation of the FDLR, citing that it encourages the latter to continue arming and fighting alongside this genocidal militia, which has conducted cross-border attacks in Rwanda while embedded with the Congolese army (FARDC). This constitutes a direct and serious threat to Rwanda’s security, the statement read in part. These contingencies are ready to act to prevent any cross-border threat, proportionately to its magnitude, origin, and nature. We will not allow any spill-over into Rwanda from any armed group, and total security for our territory and our people will be ensured. Rwanda Hails Outcomes of AU Meetings, Reinforces Border Security. Read more: https://t.co/PwFGVvRuU3 pic.twitter.com/BOSgzW9qCE — Government of Rwanda (@RwandaGov) February 27, 2023 Meanwhile, Rwanda says it hails the outcomes of the recent meetings held during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, on the situation in Eastern DR Congo. As implementation of the decisions of the Nairobi and Luanda processes commences, Rwanda has confidence in the role of East Africa Community Regional Force in supervising ongoing actions, including the withdrawal of M23. Also welcome and useful, the statement added, is the international community’s support for the regional processes including statements from the United Nations Secretary General, the European Union, and the United States. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: UN re-echoes possible Genocide in Kivu It is positive that the U.S. statement released on February 22 echoed the regional decisions related to hate speech and ethnic violence, the return of refugees, and the disarming and repatriation of the FDLR. However, the United States appears consistently out of step with the decisions of the regional processes, and risks undermining them, by continuing to endorse the DRC Government’s false narrative blaming Rwanda for the crisis. The FDLR is not a benign or inconsequential force, and the ultimate goal of its partnership with FARDC is to attack Rwanda, the statement highlighted. At the same time, the purpose of unchecked hate speech and public incitement against Tutsi is to mobilize the population for future atrocities and ethnic cleansing, in the dangerous context of electoral competition. We commend regional leaders for their commitment to a sustainable solution to insecurity in our region, including the decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council to use the African Union Peace Fund to support the East African Community Regional Force. Much as Rwanda has always worked within regional frameworks to contribute to stability in the region, the statement noted that the country cannot accept for its security concerns to be trivialized and ignored.
