Two rockets were shelled on Rwandan territory in Kinigi Sector, Musanze District from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, June 10, the Rwanda Defence Force  confirmed on Friday.

In a statement, the RDF said the Congolese army (FARDC) fired the two 122mm rockets into Rwanda from the Bunagana area.

"There were no casualties but the local population is terrified,” the statement read in part.

Residents of Nyabigoma Cell in Kinigi Sector who spoke to The New Times said they heard bomb shells at around 12:00 on Friday. 

"I was in my pyrethrum farm, when I saw one bomb drop close to where I was standing. I rushed home to see the children. Then I heard another bomb drop, and people said it hit a farm of my neighbour,” Donathile Harerimana said.

She said local authorities arrived shortly after the incident and comforted the residents.

The rockets were dropped on agricultural land in a residential area, near the Volcanoes National Park, a few kilometres from the Rwanda-DR Congo border.

The shelling by FARDC is the third in less than four months, following two similar incidents in March and May in Musanze and Burera districts, which left several civilians injured and property damaged.

One of the victims of the May incident who was severely injured is still in hospital, The New Times has learnt.

"These incidents, including the kidnap by FARDC-FDLR of two RDF soldiers on border patrol, have been reported to the Government of DRC, the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism of the ICGLR [International Conference on the Great Lakes Region] and other partners,” RDF said.

"RDF assures the population that efforts to resolve this issue are underway and their safety is assured.”

Although President Felix Tshisekedi promised the release of the two soldiers, they have not yet been repatriated.

Armed conflict between FARDC and M23 rebels

The latest outbreak of armed conflict between the FARDC and the M23 rebel group began in May in eastern DR Congo near the border with Rwanda and Uganda. 

Also fighting alongside the Congolese army are forces of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO); and militias of the terrorist group FDLR have reportedly joined the conflict.

Speaking to journalists last month, Vincemt Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said Rwanda supported a peaceful resolution of the insecurity in eastern DR Congo.

Biruta warned however that Rwanda would not "sit idly" if the FARDC continued provocating Rwanda.

There have been negotiations between President Tshisekedi's government and several armed groups began in April in Nairobi, Kenya, in an attempt to bring peace to the troubled east.

However, following the latest conflict, the Congolese government declared the M23 a "terrorist movement" and excluded them from the Nairobi peace talks.

Echoing Kigali’s stance on the issue, Biruta said that Rwanda is not interested in a crisis and supports the Nairobi process.