Rwanda Defense Force Spokesperson Lt. Col Innocent Munyengango says the RDF soldiers were handed back to Rwandan authorities on Monday
The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has clarified circumstances in which two of its soldiers were found beyond Rwanda’s borderline, April 15th.
A press release from RDF spokesperson indicates that on 15 April 2018 at 8pm, a Rwanda Defence Force officer (Lieutenant) and one of his men (Private) from the 11 Infantry Battalion, while on patrol, accidentally crossed the borderline between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at Rubavu District.
They were arrested by soldiers of Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) deployed along the border.
The incident occurred in the general border area at Karundo Village, Mbugangali Cell, Gisenyi Sector, at around 10 meters from Rwanda-DRC border.
Lt Col Innocent Munyengango, Defence and Military Spokesperson said:
“This incident was caused by the lack of clear border demarcation between Rwanda and the DRC,” he said.
“It is a regrettable but common cross-border incident as on several occasions we have returned FARDC soldiers who had accidentally crossed to our side. For instance, 34 FARDC soldiers have been returned to DRC between 2016 and 2018.”
The RDF and FARDC, together with the Great Lakes Region Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism, handled the incident amicably and the two were handed over back on April 16th to RDF authorities in Rubavu.
