Rwanda Fires at DRC Fighter Jet

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Facts

  • The Rwanda Defense Force on Tuesday shot at a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fighter jet in response to an alleged airspace breach in the Rwandan [district of] Rubavu, marking the latest dispute between the two countries whose relations have been strained by the M23 rebel insurgency.
  • An unverified video shared widely on Congolese social media showed a projectile exploding in the air near the plane, which continued to fly. The DRC confirmed that the plane arrived in the provincial capital Goma without sustaining significant damage.
  • Congolese authorities claimed that the aircraft was flying within its territory and deemed Rwanda's move a "deliberate act of aggression that amounts to an act of war" aimed at spoiling a peace agreement to halt an M23 rebel offensive.
  • This is the third time that Rwanda has reported that a DRC military plane violated its airspace in the past three months, including a brief landing at the Rubavu airport in the first incident. The DRC has denied "any aggression intention" in all incidents.
  • This comes after the UN-backed Radio Okapi reported that Congolese Pres. Félix Tshisekedi called off a meeting with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to discuss the conflict in the DRC's mineral-rich east, which was set to take place in Qatar last Monday.
  • Tensions between the DRC and Rwanda have been mounting since the M23 rebels reemerged in eastern Congo a year ago after a decade dormant, with Kinshasa accusing its neighboring country of assisting the group. Kigali repeatedly denied any involvement.

Sources: VOA, Reuters, Ktpress, Bloomberg, and DW.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Chimp Reports. This unacceptable aggression carried out by Rwanda against a Congolese warplane flying inside the DRC territory adds context to a ground offensive launched earlier on Tuesday and immediately repelled by the DRC. As Rwanda joins forces with the M23 to undermine regional stability, all means will be used to protect the DRC's territorial integrity.
  • Narrative B, as provided by New Times. Rwanda had no other choice than to take the necessary defensive measures after a Congolese fighter jet violated its airspace for the third time in three months. It's about time for the DRC to halt this continuous aggression and blatant provocation and end hostilities.