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Rwanda denies army in Congo
Rwanda has denied it has pushed troops into Democratic Republic of Congo hours after U.N. peacekeepers said they had compelling evidence that some had entered the vast country. "All reported sightings of Rwandan troops in the DRC are false. Rwanda does not have any troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Richard Sezibera, President Paul Kagame's adviser on Congo, told a news conference on Thursday. | "Rwanda is not at war with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda has never been at war with the Democratic Republic of Congo." |
Rwanda has threatened to attack Hutu fighters based in Congo if the government in Kinshasa and U.N. forces failed to disarm the rebels, some of whom took part in Rwanda's 1994 genocide. But the U.N. mission in Congo said it had compelling evidence Rwandan soldiers carrying new military hardware had crossed into the east of the vast Central African country. "Our helicopter reconnaissance patrols have been able to take photos of abandoned bivouacs and well-equipped soldiers who are moving with new uniforms and materials," said Mamadou Bah, a spokesman in Kinshasa for the U.N. mission (MONUC). | Took pictures from the air and flew back in time for tea. |
Sezibera said Rwanda did not wish to enter the territory of the DRC and was not an enemy of the Congolese government.But he added: "If it became necessary in the defence of Rwandan territory, her sovereignty and her people and in pursuit of genocidal forces in the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda would be forced to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo." "Rwanda calls upon on the international community and the DRC to help Rwanda not to have to enter the DRC," he said. | "Don't make us come in there!" |
"The DRC government does not face a threat from Rwanda. Rwanda is not an enemy of the DRC... Rwanda is a threat to the Interahamwe and will continue to be a threat to them. We do not think the Interahamwe are members of the Congolese government so when Rwanda says it will attack the Interahamwe it does not mean it will attack the Congolese government."
Posted by: Steve 2004-12-02 |
