The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) claims to have repelled an incursion by the Rwandan army into the province of North Kivu (east), Thursday, July 27, and, in a statement released in the evening, affirms its intention to “exercise the right to sue”. This press release, signed by General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), does not, however, repeat information, reported by Congolese sources, according to which a Rwandan soldier was allegedly killed during this clash.
The Rwanda Defense Forces “crossed” the border north of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, on Thursday morning “to bring in their reinforcements and continue to destabilize and intentionally violate the territorial integrity of our country”, says the General Ekenge in his press release. Elements of the FARDC in charge of border security pushed back the Rwandan soldiers, “who withdrew to their country”, continues the text. “The FARDC will now respond vigorously on a piecemeal basis and exercise the right of pursuit,” he concluded.
Two other military sources, interviewed in the Goma region, assured for their part, on condition of anonymity, that there had been “one death on the side of the Rwandan soldiers” during the exchange of fire. Asked by AFP, the army and the Rwandan government did not react Thursday evening.
Relations between the DRC and Rwanda are at an all-time low, with Kinshasa blaming Kigali for supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, who last year seized large swaths of territory in North Kivu. Incidents at the border between the two countries are relatively frequent.