[allAfrica.com]  [Africa_2004]


Congo Planning Attack - Rwanda

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
June 21, 2004
Posted to the web June 21, 2004
Kigali
Rwanda's foreign minister accused neighbouring Congo Saturday of preparing to
attack his country with the help of Rwandan insurgents who fled after leading
the 1994 genocide.
Foreign Minister Charles Murigande said the Congolese government has positioned
thousands of troops near the border with Rwanda - and has rearmed Rwandan
insurgents, including members of the former army and extremist Interahamwe
militia who played a central role in the 100-day genocide in Rwanda.
"This heavy deployment of Congolese soldiers and Rwandan rebels is a big threat
to the security of our country," Murigande warned. "Certainly we shall not sit
back and watch these developments, we have a country and people to defend."
Congo's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Henry Mova Sakanyi denied the
charges, dismissing them as "fabrications."
Tensions rose between the two countries earlier this month after Congo accused
Rwanda of backing renegade Congolese troops who seized control of the strategic
eastern city of Bukavu for a week.
Rwanda denied the charges and closed its borders with Congo while awaiting
independent investigations into the claims.
Sakanyi repeated claims that Rwandan troops were in Congo in violation of the
peace deal signed between the two nations.
Rwanda sent troops into Congo in August 1998 to help Congolese rebels oust then
President Laurent Kabila, who they believed had supported Rwandan insurgents
involved in the slaughter of at least 500,000 minority Tutsis and political
moderates from the Hutu majority.
Rwanda withdrew troops from Congo in November 2002 after signing a peace deal
under which Congo agreed to disarm Rwandan insurgents based in the country and
hand them over to Rwandan authorities.
Rwanda has since complained that Congo has failed to keep its side of the
bargain.

   

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