In a significant move, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has closed its airspace to all civil and state aircraft registered or based in Rwanda. This measure comes amidst heightened insecurity resulting from ongoing armed conflict.
Congolese airport authorities issued an internal note stating the “formal ban on overflight and landing on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for all civil and state aircraft registered in Rwanda or those registered elsewhere but based in Rwanda.” This decision is a direct response to the escalating violence in the region.
The conflict, primarily between M23 rebels and Congolese forces, reignited on Tuesday in North Kivu province’s Lubero front. The M23 rebels, predominantly Tutsi, have been a destabilizing force in the eastern DRC for years. Their renewed activities have plunged the region into further chaos.
According to the United Nations, the conflict has had a devastating human toll since January 26, with over 3,000 people killed, 2,880 injured, and more than 500,000 displaced. This adds to the already staggering figure of 6.4 million internally displaced persons within the DRC.
The humanitarian crisis extends to the loss of peacekeepers’ lives. At least 20 peacekeepers, including 14 from South Africa, have been killed in the ongoing clashes. The remains of the South African soldiers are expected to be repatriated on Thursday.
Amidst this turmoil, the M23 rebels have declared control over Goma, a strategic city in the eastern DRC, and have announced their own administration in the city. This development has further strained relations between the DRC and Rwanda.
Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels and sending its forces to support the group in eastern Congo. These allegations have been consistently denied by Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, which maintains that it does not support the rebels.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and support for the affected population. The DRC’s decision to close its airspace to Rwandan aircraft marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two nations.