Rwanda says about one section soldiers of the congolese army (FARDC) on Wednesday morning entered the no-man’s land between Rwanda and DR Congo and opened fire at its border post in Rusizi District, Western Province. The incident which is said to have occured in the wee hours of Wednesday, according to a statement from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). “Our security forces responded and FARDC soldiers withdrew,” reads part of the statement. CROSS-BORDER SHOOTING VIOLATION BY DRC TROOPS https://t.co/Rp34Hiym5i pic.twitter.com/eJGJ6MuIQG — Rwanda Defence Force (@RwandaMoD) February 15, 2023 According to the statement, around 12 to 14 soldiers entered the No Man’s Land between Rwanda and the DR Congo bordering Rusizi District in Western Province, before opening the fire at Rwanda’s border. This is not the first time DR Congo army soldiers are opening fire at Rwanda’s border. There were no casualties on the Rwanda side and the situation is calm, and according to RDF, FARDC forces visited the scene and cleaned up the area a few minutes to 6:00 am. The RDF, however, said it has requested the Expanded Joint verification Mechanism and the Ad Hoq Verification Mechanism to investigate this act of provocation. The incident follows a series of several acts of provocation by DR Congo authorities towards Kigali as both countries witness deteriorating relations. Just recently a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet from DR Congo violated Rwanda’s airspace – the third time such an incident occurred in three months – forcing Rwanda to take “defensive measures.”
