Rwanda dismisses reports on camp bombing in DR Congo

The government of Rwanda has dismissed reports from that the U.S. Department of State claiming that the country was behind the bombing of IDP (internally displaced people) camps around Goma, a city in DR Congo.

« The attempt by the U.S. Department of State in its statement of 4 May 2024, to immediately and without any investigation place blame on Rwanda for the loss of lives in the IDP camps, is unjustified. Rwanda will not shoulder responsibility for the bombing of the IDP camps around Goma, or the security and governance failures of the government of the DRC,” the government said in a statement on May 5.

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The government indicated that warnings about the FARDC (Armed forces of DR Congo) placement of heavy artillery within IDP camps, had been issued by organisations in Goma, including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders – a charity that provides humanitarian medical care).

This, it added, was followed by the deadly shelling witnessed by hundreds of people including those affected, as well as the targeted, point-blank shooting of protesters in the IDP camps by the FARDC and Burundian armed forces deployed in the DRC.

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The statement further pointed out that credible investigation and verification should be completed first, to establish what really happened.

The scapegoating of Rwanda by the U.S. government for the shortcomings and wrongdoing of the DRC has become a pattern, and predictable. This endorses the belligerent position of the DRC government, including the FARDC’s coalition with the FDLR genocidal militia/Wazalendo/European mercenaries/SADC forces/Burundian armed forces.

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« The position taken by the US government raises serious questions about its credibility as a facilitator in the region, and undermines its ability to play a constructive role towards a peaceful solution,” the statement reads in part.

The international community, while claiming to support regional processes towards a political solution and durable peace, the government stated, has been indifferent to the dramatic military build-up in eastern DRC, armed conflict and the resulting deplorable humanitarian situation of millions of Congolese citizens.

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It observed that DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and the Congolese leadership have persistently threatened to invade Rwanda and overthrow its government by force, adding that is the reason why Rwanda will continue to take measures to ensure complete defence of Rwandan territory, and take any legitimate measures to defend the country.