Rwanda sees Congo build-up as “hostile act”

KIGALI – Rwanda said Congo’s troop build-up near its border was a “hostile action” and vowed to defend itself against its giant neighbour.

“From this side of the border it is a hostile action,” Rwandan army spokesman Patrick Karegeya said yesterday. “We look at it in the historical context of the region.”Rwanda has twice invaded Congo, in 1996 and 1998, backing Congolese rebels to hunt down Hutu extremists responsible for the 1994 genocide who Rwanda said posed a threat to its borders.Military and diplomatic sources say Kinshasa has flown up to 10 000 government troops to eastern Congo in the past week.The troop movements near the Rwandan and Ugandan borders follow a week-long insurgency in the strategic eastern town of Bukavu earlier this month which Congo’s President Joseph Kabila said was backed by Rwanda.Diplomats say some in Kinshasa fear another Rwandan attack.Karegeya denied that Rwanda was massing troops along the border in response to the Congolese deployment but said Kigali was concerned about the situation in eastern Congo.”We’ve seen increased cooperation between Interahamwe (Hutu extremists) and government troops over the past few weeks,” Karegeya said, adding that the Kinshasa government had rearmed and equipped the Interahamwe with satellite telephones.”We’re waiting to see what happens next but the situation does not hold (bode) well for the peace process in the Great Lakes region and especially in Congo.”Both Rwandan invasions sparked wider wars.Congo is just emerging from the last five year conflict which, at its height, involved six neighbouring nations and killed three million people, mostly from hunger and disease.Kabila’s power-sharing government, which includes former rebel factions and members of the opposition, remains deeply divided and has been unable to integrate former foes into a cohesive national army.Rwandan Foreign Minister Charles Murigande said his tiny country with a well-equipped army would be “foolish not to be worried” by the troop movement.”If they (Congo’s army) cross the border I think we would do what any country would do — we would defend ourselves.I don’t think we would be opening our arms and embracing them.”Fighters loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda later withdrew from Bukavu and he has backed down on threats to retake it.But on Friday he said he believed the government still wanted a fight.- Nampa-Reuters”We look at it in the historical context of the region.”Rwanda has twice invaded Congo, in 1996 and 1998, backing Congolese rebels to hunt down Hutu extremists responsible for the 1994 genocide who Rwanda said posed a threat to its borders.Military and diplomatic sources say Kinshasa has flown up to 10 000 government troops to eastern Congo in the past week.The troop movements near the Rwandan and Ugandan borders follow a week-long insurgency in the strategic eastern town of Bukavu earlier this month which Congo’s President Joseph Kabila said was backed by Rwanda.Diplomats say some in Kinshasa fear another Rwandan attack.Karegeya denied that Rwanda was massing troops along the border in response to the Congolese deployment but said Kigali was concerned about the situation in eastern Congo.”We’ve seen increased cooperation between Interahamwe (Hutu extremists) and government troops over the past few weeks,” Karegeya said, adding that the Kinshasa government had rearmed and equipped the Interahamwe with satellite telephones.”We’re waiting to see what happens next but the situation does not hold (bode) well for the peace process in the Great Lakes region and especially in Congo.”Both Rwandan invasions sparked wider wars.Congo is just emerging from the last five year conflict which, at its height, involved six neighbouring nations and killed three million people, mostly from hunger and disease.Kabila’s power-sharing government, which includes former rebel factions and members of the opposition, remains deeply divided and has been unable to integrate former foes into a cohesive national army.Rwandan Foreign Minister Charles Murigande said his tiny country with a well-equipped army would be “foolish not to be worried” by the troop movement.”If they (Congo’s army) cross the border I think we would do what any country would do — we would defend ourselves.I don’t think we would be opening our arms and embracing them.”Fighters loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda later withdrew from Bukavu and he has backed down on threats to retake it.But on Friday he said he believed the government still wanted a fight.- Nampa-Reuters