On the evening of Sunday, May 24, DR Congo’s armed forces intercepted yet another drone attack on the Bangoka Airport in the northeastern city of Kisangani, capital of the Tshopo province.
This attack “on civilian installations through which populations from different parts of the world transit” is a “war crime”, said Paulin Lendongolia, governor of the Tshopo province, neighboring Kivu region – epicenter of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group’s war for mineral wealth.
This is not the first attack on this strategic airport. Earlier, on January 31 and February 1, the DRC’s armed forces intercepted eight drones before the airport was hit. The M23 claimed responsibility.
Read more: Rwanda-backed M23 pushes conflict to Uvira despite Washington peace deal
Condemning this attack “directed against an airport infrastructure located in a major urban center and gravely endangering civilian populations,” the African Union had warned that it “may amount to an act of terrorism.”
Its condemnation, however, had done little to deter Rwanda and its M23 front, which, once again, on March 1, launched four drones, all of which were shot down in the sky. One of them came crashing down just as a civilian aircraft was announcing its landing.
Then, again on May 24, drones dropped nine missiles on defensive positions inside the airport, according to provincial authorities. However, “thanks to our response capacity, no loss of life or major material damage has been recorded,” Governor Lendongolia said in his remarks following a visit to the airport on Monday, May 25.
“We have not suspended activities here. As you have seen with me, some aircraft are landing while others are taking off. The situation is being handled and remains under control,” he affirmed.
“Everyone must safeguard the security of the DRC as a whole, and particularly that of their own living environment,” added Didier Lomoyo, vice-governor of Tshopo province. “We must remain constantly vigilant. The country is at war.”
“We’re going to take out some of the rare earth”
Multiple ceasefire agreements signed over a year have failed to hold, while conflict minerals, mined by the M23 and smuggled into Rwanda, continue to be sourced into the supply chains of several tech giants, including Apple.
Read more: The DRC’s historic case against Apple over blood minerals in its supply chain
In December, the DRC even opened up its critical minerals to the US in exchange for President Donald Trump’s brokering a peace agreement between DRC and Rwanda. “We’re going to take out some of the rare earth,” while DRC and Rwanda are “going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands”, Trump had announced, calling the Washington Pact a “miracle”.
Only days later, under the cover of alleged heavy fire by the Rwandan army, the M23 went on another offensive in South Kivu province, displacing about 200,000 people. In that month of December alone, M23 attacks killed at least 1,500 civilians, the government maintains.
Read more: In the wake of Trump’s “peace deal”, 200,000 displaced due to escalated M23 attacks on DRC
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