Accusations fly as the Democratic Republic of the Congo alleges a drone attack by the Rwandan army in North Kivu province, heightening tensions amidst claims of Rwandan support for rebels and escalating violence in the region.
Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike Kaito, the army spokesperson for North Kivu province, reported a drone attack by the Rwandan army on the night transitioning from Friday to Saturday at 2 a.m. local time. The incident, violating the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, originated from Rwandan territory, according to Kaito in a video disseminated by the governorate.
The drones specifically targeted aircraft belonging to the DRC armed forces. Fortunately, no harm befell the military aircraft, but a civilian aircraft sustained damage in the attack. Despite the reported explosions heard by AFP correspondents and Goma residents, both national and international airport operations remained unaffected.
Alain Uaykani, reporting for Al Jazeera from Goma, suggested that the drone attack, if indeed directed at military assets as claimed by the army, signifies advanced capabilities of the M23 rebels. The Congolese government may not have anticipated such sophisticated attacks.
The DRC, the United Nations, and Western nations allege Rwandan support for the rebels, aiming to control valuable mineral resources, an accusation strongly denied by Kigali. Over the past two years, M23 rebels have seized significant portions of North Kivu.
A confidential UN document disclosed the use of advanced weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, by the Rwandan army in support of M23. A surface-to-air missile, suspected to be from the Rwandan Defence Force, was fired at a UN observation drone without hitting it.
Expressing concern over escalating violence, the UN Security Council condemned the M23 offensive near Goma. Ongoing clashes have resulted in reported casualties among soldiers and civilians in the past ten days, prompting tens of thousands of civilians to flee towards Goma.
The security situation remains precarious in the Sake area, where government forces, along with their allies, attempt to dislodge M23 rebels from strategically positioned mountains. Additionally, rebels engage in combat with the DRC army in Kashuga village, in the Rutshuru territory near the border with Walikale, marking a new front in the conflict.
The significance of this territory lies in its hosting of international companies engaged in extensive mining activities. In the preceding week, M23 targeted outlying neighborhoods of Goma with bombs. Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to quell the violence, prompting discussions on the conflict at the 37th African Union summit in Addis Ababa.
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