Africa-Press – Rwanda. Beliya Nyirumutuzo, 58, a resident of Rubavu town, on Tuesday, January 28, told The New Times that the recent shelling on Rwandan territory by the DR Congo army coalition would have claimed more lives than it did had it not been for the resolve of the country’s security organs to shield the population.
Like Nyirumutuzo, other Rubavu residents told The New Times how they were pleasantly surprised upon realising that the country’s defence forces were using what, clearly, was a rocket defense system to counter the numerous rockets fired into Rubavu, on Monday and some part of Tuesday, from Goma.
The bombing started soon after the AFC/M23 rebels early Monday captured Goma and the defeated Congolese army coalition retaliated by firing rockets into Rubavu. Kinshasa continues to say that Kigali supports the AFC/M23 rebellion, an allegation the former has dismissed.
So far, according to deputy government spokesperson Alain Mukuralinda, 13 people have been killed by the gunfire from DR Congo.
Nyirumutuzo said: “We trust in our government, and President. When President [Paul] Kagame says he will do whatever it takes to protect us we trust him. We know he delivers. And in this crisis, he, again, proved that he delivers. Had it not been for him, and our security forces, we could have suffered devastatingly, with, perhaps, hundreds of people dead and lots of homes and infrastructure in our beautiful city destroyed.”
Gentil Nzeyimana, 22, a storekeeper, near the Petite Barriere border crossing, echoed Nyiramutuzo.
He said: “Our army showed us, once again, what it is capable of. We have an army that we can rely on, no doubt about that! The fact that they managed to ensure that very few of the many bombs aimed at our city actually got to land and hit targets such as buildings was really commendable. Had that happened, so many people would have died. And we thank our army, RDF, for everything.”
Deputy government Spokesperson Alain Mukuralinda also reiterated that the country’s security forces did a good job when defending the country’s territorial integrity.
Defeated, ‘in disarray’, DR Congo soldiers flee
By midday, Tuesday, the sporadic gunfire from Goma had significantly dwindled.
Reports indicated that the rebels had combed the city, getting rid of the last pockets of resistance. Up to 113 Congolese troops and their FDLR militia allies fled to Rwanda after they ware repulsed from Goma by the M23 rebels. They were all received and disarmed by security forces, in Rubavu town.
“We were defeated, and in disarray. When things got tough, our leaders got onto boats and headed to Bukavu,” Lt Tshome Kasereka, one of the defeated congolese soldiers among the group told The New Times about events back in Goma before they ran for their lives.
Rwanda will “never force” the Congolese soldiers who fled fighting with M23 rebels to return to DR Congo, Amb Vincent Karega, the ambassador-at-large to the Great Lakes Region, said.
“Rwanda, like any country that respects international law, whoever comes as a refugee and is in a distressful situation, is welcome and will get the support that we give to all people in difficult situations,” Karega said.
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