Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and government spokesperson, Louise Mushikiwabo (middle).
After spending some time since late 2013, without any bomb shelling across the Rwanda-Congo border, the Congolese army resumed attacks on Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and government spokesperson, Louise Mushikiwabo warned the DRC leadership against any further hostilities saying in a statement that the attacks continue to undermine regional efforts towards peace.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2014 morning in Rusura cell in the sector of Busasamana, a section of the DRC army crossed the border to Rwanda where they opened fired on a Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) patrol.
Violation of regional peace
“These actions by the DRC are jeopardizing the region’s extensive efforts to ensure peace, stability and development for all our citizens. We urge the leadership of the DRC to embrace the logic of peace and end all attacks on the Rwandan territory. Rwanda stands ready to act to protect its citizens.” Mushikiwabo said in a statement.
Over 34 bomb attacks were shelled on Rwandan soil since November 2012 by the DRC army, an issue that left Rwanda in a juxtaposition to either respond by retaliating or address the issue the gentleman’s way.
The same attacks continued last year bomb attacks were in August 2013 launched from DRC territory landed in a marketplace in Bugangari killing Vestine Mukagasana and seriously injuring her two months old son.
Complaints
Despite calm in the border regions between the two countries since the start of 2014, the DRC has, in the past three months, unilaterally closed its border with Rwanda, imposed visa fees despite regional and bilateral agreements and failed to honor their commitment to neutralize the FDLR militia operating in the DRC for the last twenty years.
Most Rwandans trading across the Congolese borders have also been reportedly abused and manhandled and their goods robbed by the Congolese forces, an issue that governors of both regions have tried to settle, though similar complaints have continued to surface.
In September 2013, UN special envoy to the African Great Lakes region, Mary Robinson, visited the region and said that she was impressed by efforts to restore peace in the eastern DRC region and that President Kagame shared his commitment to support the joint verification team in DRC.
Earlier on Louise Mushikiwabo said that Rwanda would not tolerate the attacks by the DRC forces and the International Community should be able to show it response to the situation that have cost innocent civilian life.