Africa

Drone-initiated shell strike at Goma Airport raises tensions in DRC's North Kivu

Goma International Airport.

By Mary Wambui | Saturday, February 17, 2024

The incident happened three days after a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African Contingent military bases.

Congolese media are reporting an incident where a shell fell at Goma International Airport in North Kivu on Saturday morning further fueling fears that the ongoing conflict may escalate to the city.

Radio Okapi reported that preliminary information showed the shell was launched by a drone around 2 am damaging a wing of the SU 25 military aircraft.

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On Saturday evening, the Congolese army, FARDC, in a press briefing, claimed it was a targeted army attack at the airport.

The SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) and the government have not issued a statement to clarify the source of the drone and if there were any human casualties.

The incident happened three days after a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African Contingent military bases.

"As a result of this indirect fire, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) suffered two fatalities and three members sustained injuries. The injured were taken to the nearest hospital in Goma for medical attention," SANDF said in a statement on Thursday.

The force, however, did not disclose the details of the source of the bomb.

"Details of this incident are still sketchy at the moment, further investigation will be conducted to determine the basis of the incident," the statement added.

At the same time, an extraordinary mini-summit on the peace and security situation in the Eastern DRC held in Addis Ababa this weekend has called for a return to constructive dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda and an immediate cessation of hostilities.

At the meeting, DRC pushed for the immediate withdrawal of the M23 from the areas it occupied after the exit of the East African Regional Force (EACRF) in December last year.

The meeting happened in the wake of renewed conflict in the Eastern DRC pitting the Congolese army against the dominant armed group M23.

According to Radio Okapi, fighting between the two factions continued on Saturday morning in the locality of Mweso, Bashali Mokoto grouping in the Masisi territory.

"Local sources say that this fighting is taking place in Mbuhi, located less than 3 kilometres from the Mweso commercial centre against M23 positions. Heavy weapon fire is heard in the locality of Mweso, particularly in Mbuhi, Bushenge and Pilote," the radio reported.

DRC has accused Rwanda of fueling these renewed attacks by M23 even as Kigali, in a letter to the United Nations Security Council dated February 12, requested that the UN Stabilization Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO) block any logistical support to the SAMIDRC, claiming that such a move does not give room for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

The move follows an earlier declaration by Jean Pierre Lacroix that the UN was considering giving the mission logistical support.

Rwanda insists that the conflict has persisted partly because the international community has, "deliberately ignored the root causes of the conflict, which include among others support to and preservation of Rwandan genocidal forces in Eastern DRC."