Who will hold FARDC responsible for their exactions?

In the past three days, the small town of Busasamana has seen an unusual amount of activities with teams of journalists, defense attaché from various embassies and various leaders travelling to the scene where the DRC army crossed into Rwanda. “It is not the first time that the Congolese soldiers come to pillage our farms,” said Samuel Mazimwe, the chief of Cyamabuye village, where the fighting took place. “They take our cattle and only return them after being given money. On Monday, we paid Rwf150,000 to get back six cows they had taken. Otherwise they would have slaughtered them for food”. On the morning of June 11, FARDC once again crossed the border in an attempt to terrorise and rob the population. Faced with an RDF patrol in Kanyesheja II in Busasaman sector, the FARDC opened fire. It was during the ensuing exchange that Hategekimana Baysiro was shot. It was not Hategekimana’s first attempt at robbing citizens. Residents of Busasamana recognised him as notorious for stealing cattle in the area. “He was the one leading the looting.It was with him that we negotiated to get back our cows only two day earlier,”Mazimwe, a resident of the area,said. This first exchange of fire was followed by an additional attempt by 50 soldiers from the FARDC to cross over to Rwanda. They crossed the border and occupied Kanyesheja 2 hill in Rwanda, a couple of metres from their position at Kanyesheja 1. They returned to the DRC side of the border following another exchange of fire that left four FARDC soldiers dead. All five soldiers were dressed in FARDC uniforms and most carried FARDC identification cards. Following the first exchange, the Rwanda Defense Forces called upon the Extended Joint Verification Mechanism to investigate the clash. Their access was denied by the DRC authorities until the next day. We accompanied the Extended Joint Verification Mechanism who had gone to investigate the clashes. On arrival, we were told that the Congolese troops at Kageyo had again tried to provoke a fight by shooting into Rwanda. The RDF did not respond. The 12 members of the Extended Joint Verification Mechanism divided roles and began their inspection. They measured the distance where fighting had taken place vis a vis the border, looked at the bodies before crossing to the DRC to continue their investigation. Their reports have not been made public. However, even with the facts established, a fundamental question remains: who will be held accountable for an army that consistently commits crimes across its borders and threatens the security of innocent citizens. Is the DRC army willing to trade regional security for a few cows?

National

Who will hold FARDC responsible for their exactions?