The Rwandan Ministry of defense this morning claimed that Friday night approximately 100 unidentified gunmen heavily armed with machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades attacked an RDF defensive position with intention to kill civilians in Yanze IDP Model village.
The village is located about 1000m from the Burundi Border in Ruheru Sector, Nyaruguru District in Southern Rwanda. The attack lasted 20-30 minutes.
According to Rwandan Military Spokesperson, Lt Col Innocent Munyengango, the RDF engaged the attackers who withdrew back to Burundi.
“The gunmen attacked from Burundi and they fled back in the same direction towards Burundi military position at Gihisi, Commune Bukinanyana, Cibitoke province. Assailants left behind four of their dead, military equipment that include weapons and communication radios, and dry rations marked “FORCE DE DEFENSE NATIONALE DU BURUNDI” (Burundi Armed Forces).
However, Burundi defense forces in a statement extended to CommandPost dismissed Rwanda’s claims as baseless and unfounded lies.
“The FDNB denies the information relayed by the Rwandan ministry of defense on social networks, according to which Burundi would have served as a shelter for rebels who attacked Rwanda on the night of Friday to this Saturday June 27″.
“Burundian soil cannot be a sanctuary for armed elements that disturb the security of neighboring countries. On the other hand, the soldiers of the FDNB have the mission to work constantly so that security is well assured on the borders that Burundi shares with its neighbors “, Says spokesman of the Burundian army, Col. Floribert Biyereke ).
Observers also question how Rwanda army was able to count and confirm that the attackers were 100 in number at night and how the armed men, “with intention” to kill civilians in the neighboring village, attacked a military camp before hitting their “target”
“Why would people, whose intention was to kill civilians, carry such heavy weapons”
Was RDF part of the alleged attackers or RDf was the attacker? If RDF was not part of the alleged attackers or the exclusive attacker, how did RDF ascertain the attackers’ intention and plan” Wonders Professor Charles Kambanda.
According to Prof Kambanda, RDF is infamous for “parading” dead bodies of “attackers”. Is it possible that you paraded the “weapons” captured but did not parade the dead bodies and the people captured? That’s not typical of RDF”
He says Rwanda has been provoking Uganda for the past couple of month and could be trying hard to provoke Burundi.
