Rwanda Defence Force has asked for an investigation into a cross-border shelling of rockets that landed on Rwandan territory on Monday, May 23. The rockets, which came from the Congolese side of the border, injured several residents in Musanze district. The blasts were heard on Monday morning in Kinigi and Nyange sectors of Musanze district, and at least one residential house was damaged, sources told The New Times. According to a statement by the RDF, the shelling, which happened at around 10 am on Monday, injured several civilians and damaged property. Those injured are receiving treatment and officials are assessing the extent of the damage, the RDF Spokesperson, Col Ronald Rwivanga is quoted as saying in the statement. The RDF has requested for urgent investigation by the regional EJVM [Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism], and Rwandan authorities are also engaging DRC counterparts over the incident. The two sectors of Kinigi and Nyange, border the Volcanoes National Park, which also shares a border with DR Congo. Rwivanga added: The situation in the area is normal and security assured. Fighting erupts in DR Congo Meanwhile, an armed conflict has erupted in eastern DR Congos North Kivu Province. On Sunday and Monday the FARDC and the UN peacekeeping forces (MONUSCO) were reportedly engaged in a fight with the rebel group M23, which is based in eastern DR Congo, near the border with Rwanda and Uganda. MONUSCO and the M23 counter-accuse each other of provoking the attacks. The UN mission said it had deployed military helicopters to shell on M23 fighters. The M23 said in a statement on Sunday that fighters belonging to the FDLR, a terrorist outfit whose members are accused of genocide crimes in Rwanda, were fighting alongside Congolese forces, information we could not independently verify. Media reports say hundreds of residents of Rutchuru territory have fled to Uganda.
