Rwanda says its territory shelled by Congo, requests probe

KIGALI (Reuters) – Rwanda said on Monday it had requested a regional body to investigate shelling of its territory by the military of neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo that it said had injured several people and damaged property.

The alleged incident could further inflame relations between the two countries, which have long traded accusations about support for militant groups.

Congolese authorities could not be immediately reached for comment.

In a statement, Rwanda’s ministry of defence said it had asked the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) to investigate an attack on its territory. EJVM is a group of military experts from the region that monitors and investigates security incidents.

The attack targeted Musanze district in Rwanda’s north, “injuring several civilians and damaging property”, the ministry said.

“Those injured are receiving treatment and officials are assessing the extent of the damage. The RDF (Rwanda Defence Forces) has requested for urgent investigation by the regional EJVM, and Rwandan authorities are also engaging DRC counterparts over the incident,” it added in the statement.

Tensions have been heightened since March, when Congo’s M23 rebel group attacked two Congolese army positions near the borders with Uganda and Rwanda and advanced on nearby towns.

The group seized swathes of territory in eastern Congo during an insurrection in 2012 and 2013, before its fighters were driven out by Congolese and United Nations forces. They have since returned from neighbouring countries to stage attacks.

Congo and U.N. investigators have previously accused Rwanda of supporting M23 but Kigali denies the accusations.

(Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana in Kigali and Alessandra Prentice in Dakar; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Catherine Evans)