Congo is accused by Rwanda of organizing a major attack

Rwanda denied igniting war within its neighbor’s border on Friday, claiming to have evidence of a huge offensive planned by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have taken control of the regional capital Goma and are marching on additional territory in east Congo, where hundreds of thousands have been uprooted and many have been killed. Kigali and Kinshasa blame each other for the increasing turmoil in the region.

“We vehemently disagree with the DRC’s efforts to blame Rwanda for its instability in the eastern DRC,” James Ngango, Rwanda’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, stated at a Human Rights Council emergency session.

However, it is evident that Rwanda is in immediate danger due to the current circumstances. He said that Kinshasa and its allies had accumulated weaponry in and near Goma airport. “New evidence has emerged regarding an imminent, large-scale attack against Rwanda following the fall of Goma,” he claimed.

When contacted by Reuters, the ambassador refused to comment, making it unclear if he believed the danger was active or neutralized by the M23 advance.

“The M23 was not… in contact with the weaponry. Instead, they were aimed straight for Rwanda,” he said, adding that they had powerful artillery weapons, missiles, and kamikaze drones.

When Reuters asked Congo’s Minister of Foreign Trade Julien Paluku to comment on the diplomat’s comments, he said, “Rwanda is building, like it always does, an empire of lies.”

“These are speeches intended to attract attention, when it’s them who are committing serious human rights violations.”