The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has accused the Rwandan army of jamming satellite navigation systems, disrupting civilian flights in the conflict-ridden eastern region of the country.
The DRC government claims Rwanda, its neighboring country, has been interfering with aircraft Global Positioning System (GPS) signals through “jamming” and “spoofing,” a cyber-crime involving the creation of false identities or impersonations.
This interference poses a “significant risk” to both commercial and humanitarian flights delivering essential aid to conflict victims, according to a government statement. Rwanda has not yet responded to these allegations.
A UN report earlier this month accused Rwanda of deploying up to 4,000 troops in the DRC to support the M23 rebel group against government forces. While Rwanda did not deny this, it criticized the DRC government for lacking the political will to resolve the crisis in its mineral-rich east.
The M23 rebels, who have captured significant territory in North Kivu province, claim they are fighting for the rights of the Tutsi minority, the same ethnic group as Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of families, with numerous peace initiatives and the deployment of UN and regional troops failing to end the fighting.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the DRC government revealed that a “technical investigation” confirmed the jamming by the Rwandan army and M23 rebels, condemning it as a violation of international law. While the scale of the impact on air traffic was not detailed, GPS signals over parts of North Kivu, including the provincial capital Goma, as well as Beni and Butembo, were reported to be affected.
The DRC government has lodged a complaint with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization, urging it to impose “appropriate sanctions” on Rwanda.
