DR Congo: Authorities Call for Calm Following Drone Attacks on Kisangani Airport. Kisangani, DR Congo — The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Tshopo provincial government has urged residents to remain calm after a series of drone attacks targeted the Bangoka International Airport in Kisangani over the weekend. No casualties have been reported, and local authorities have attributed the attacks to the armed M23 anti-governmental group and its ally Rwanda.
According to the provincial government, eight enemy drones were neutralized before they reached their target. Security around the airport has been reinforced, and the local airline, CAA, has not announced any cancellations. Kisangani, a city of over 1.
5 million inhabitants on the banks of the Congo River, heavily relies on its airport due to the poor state of its roads.
The resource — rich east of the DRC, which borders Rwanda and Burundi, has been plagued by violence for over 30 years.
The resurgence of the M23 group in recent years has led to thousands of deaths and a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
Since rearming at the end of 2021, the M23 has seized large areas in the DRC’s east with Rwanda’s assistance, capturing key cities like Goma and Bukavu in a rapid offensive a year ago.
The latest drone attacks come as the DRC and Rwanda were formalizing a US — brokered peace deal.
In early December, M23 fighters launched a new offensive on the town of Uvira on the Burundi border, coinciding with the peace deal negotiations.
The provincial government stated on Monday that “the situation is under control, “and local residents living around the airport have been advised to return home. Further details regarding the technical aspects of the drone attacks and any potential response from the M23 or Rwanda remain unclear. Local sources report that the airport’s runway is used for the take-off of army attack drones and fighter jets, which regularly carry out strikes on M23 militia and Rwandan army positions.
As the situation develops, further details are expected.
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Source: DR Congo: authorities call for calm after drone attacks on airport — Africanews.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
