DRC: Congolese Sukhoi-25 plane flew over Rwanda

A Sukhoi Su-25K fighter plane (Illustrative image).

© Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 3.0 Krasimir Grozev

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Relations between the DRC and Rwanda are still tense, despite diplomatic efforts to achieve de-escalation.

This Monday, a Congolese fighter plane violated Rwandan airspace, angering Kigali.

For its part, Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23 armed group and of sending Rwandan soldiers to fight alongside these rebels.

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With our correspondent in Kinshasa,

According to Kigali, a Sukhoi-25 not only flew illegally over Rwandan airspace, but also briefly landed on the runway at Rubavu airport near North Kivu province.

Rwanda protested in a statement and even sent a letter to the Congolese deputy prime minister in charge of foreign affairs.

He considers this to be a dangerous and serious provocation, recalling in passing that bombardments from Congolese soil had targeted Rwandan territory in March, May and June 2022.

Rwanda had described these incidents as unacceptable.

Note verbale issued today by @RwandaMFA following violation of Rwandan airspace by DR Congo fighter jet.

https://t.co/RlQpCVC5pW pic.twitter.com/nEDul9863e

—Rwanda Government Communications (@RwandaOGS) November 7, 2022

An unfortunate overview

Kinshasa neither denied nor apologized.

But in a brief statement, the Congolese Ministry of Communication and Media, which speaks of an unfortunate overflight, says the fighter plane was unarmed and was in a reconnaissance operation.

And he had no intention of violating the territorial integrity of Rwanda, he said.

These ground attack and close air support aircraft were deployed last weekend from Goma airport.

One of them flew over areas controlled

including Kiwanja and Rutshuru.

This incident comes two days after the DRC-Rwanda-Angola tripartite meeting was held in Luanda.

The said meeting had called for the immediate deployment of the

verification mechanism in Goma.

The heads of the intelligence services were responsible for continuing discussions to this effect.

►Also read: The DRC decides to expel the Rwandan ambassador because of "support" for M23

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