15 June 2022
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday accused Rwanda of an “invasion” after rebels it says receive support from Kigali overran a major trading post on the Ugandan border.
Fighters from the M23 rebel group seized the town of Bunagana in eastern North Kivu province as some government forces retreated into Uganda, local sources said.
But the Congolese army released a statement on Monday evening accusing the Rwandan army of taking over the border town.
General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the province’s military government, said Kigali decided to “directly intervene” after realising the rebels it backs were suffering “enormous setbacks”.
Rwandan troops “decided to violate the untouchable nature of our border and the integrity of our territory” by occupying Bunagana, which he called “an invasion, no more, no less”.
The comments escalated Congolese rhetoric against Rwanda, with the government already accusing its neighbour of backing rebels in the east of the country.
Bunagana “is under enemy control”, a Congolese officer had earlier told AFP by phone from provincial capital Goma.
