Rwandan army incursion in DRC: Defence Minister summoned before National Assembly

On Tuesday, October 19, national deputy Jackson Ausse submitted a topical question to the Minister of National Defense, asking him to explain himself about the Rwandan army’s invasion into Nyiragongo, North Kivu, last Monday.

“Heavily armed troops who launched an invasion on Nyiragongo in North Kivu. The testimony and pictures are embarrassing.

“I started a topical issue in order for the Minister of National Defense to provide answers to the public via national representation in order to address the question of who invaded the communities in the area of Nyiragongo,” said Jackson Ausse.

He said he needs additional information from the government about the Rwandan troops who are now stationed on Congolese territory.

“How did they get here?” What exactly did they come to accomplish, and how did it turn out? What steps are being done now to ensure that similar efforts do not occur again?, wonders Irumu’s elected representative.

What occurred, he thinks, is not only wrong, but also embarrassing for the DRC, and that it necessitates some kind of retaliation:

“We are a self-governing nation.” Other nations must show us respect. And in order to do so, we must own responsibility for ourselves. In international relations, there is a reciprocity principle. “We’re waiting for the Minister of National Defense to provide us with appropriate answers.”

After the invasion in North Kivu, quiet has been reported in the Buhumba group, in Nyiragongo’s area, on Monday, October 18.

According to civil society sources in Nyiragongo area, at least six of the seven villages that were evacuated of their residents on Monday as a consequence of the invasion have already been repopulated.

However, she claims that the hamlet of Kitotoma, which is situated on the border and through which these members of the Rwandan Defense Forces came, is still almost devoid of its people. According to the same source, insanity still exists in the area.

According to local civil society, these people would want to see the DRC deploy a permanent Congolese military presence to guarantee border security in this area, since Rwandan troops incursions into Congolese territory are practically routine.

Officials of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region’s (ICGLR) Extended Joint Verification Mechanism confirm that they have already been seized by an official letter from the Congolese government on this matter and that an investigation has been launched, without providing further details.

The Rwandan army launched this invasion on Monday morning before returning to Rwanda after releasing two of its members who had been detained on Congolese territory by the Congolese army.

An RDF weapon was found at the conclusion of a fight with a FARDC reinforcement, according to a Sukola 2 spokesman.