Witnesses from the town of Lemera which is located in the province of South Kivu claim Burundian forces entered illegally into the Congolese region last December. According to Lemera area’s chief who spoke to the AFP, Burundian soldiers were chasing the Red-Tabara, a Burundian rebel group which is based in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The group is responsible for the Bujumbura airport attack that occurred on September 21, injuring 50. Red Tabara was formed in 2011 with the objective of overthrowing the government, which it says does not respect the rule of law.
The spokesperson for the Congolese army in the South-Kivu province has not confirmed nor denied the allegation.
In restive eastern Congo, the presence of the foreign military has sparked an outcry in the past. Last month clashes between residents and the police broke out in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, as rumors emerged suggesting Rwandan soldiers had been charged with maintaining law and order.
The region suffers from decades of instability stirred up by the RED-Tabara rebels and other military groups in that part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
