UN troops in DR of Congo exchange fire with persons coming from Rwanda

Unidentified people aboard three dug-out canoes coming from Rwanda opened fire on United Nations peacekeeping forces in Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) early today, but were forced to turn back when the UN troops returned fire, the UN mission said.

The troops were deployed not far from the frontier post called Ruzizi1, on the River Ruzizi, near Bukavu, a university town in the Ruzizi Valley and between lakes Kivu and Tanganyika.

The UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) said it sent a team of military observers to Rwanda to make enquiries.

Rwanda has said that despite its recent threats, it has sent no troops into the DRC to disarm Hutu rebels accused of carrying out the 1994 genocide which killed up to 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

MONUC has found evidence indicating the presence of organized armed forces in the eastern DRC within the month, but says it has been unable to identify them.