Rwandair has suspended flights to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in response to action taken by the DRC government.
“Following the decision of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to suspend Rwandair flights, Rwandair has decided to cancel all flights to Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Goma with immediate effect said Rwandair in a statement on its website.
Suspension of flights to the Democratic Republic of Congo. pic.twitter.com/FfUPJTx7De
— RwandAir (@FlyRwandAir) May 28, 2022
The suspension went into effect on May 28, 2022, and no additional information was provided by the airline regarding the duration of the flight suspension.
The DRC Government on May 28, 2022, announced the “immediate” suspension of Rwandair flights into the DRC over allegations that Rwanda is supporting rebel group M23.
DRC Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya released a clip of a press briefing on Twitter, stating: “In view of the Rwanda‘s support for the M23 terrorists, it has been decided to immediately suspend Rwandair flights to our country, a warning to the Rwandan government which is disrupting the peace process.”
Addressing the disruptions to its customers Rwandair said it will waive change of reservation fees and offer re-issues or refunds for those affected.
“We will provide updates when we have them and be in touch with our customers to provide assistance where we can,” added the airline.
#RDC : Au regard du soutien du #Rwanda aux terroristes du M23, il a été décidé la suspension immédiate des vols Rwandair à destination de notre pays, mise en garde au gouvernement rwandais qui perturbe le processus de paix. Extrait compte-rendu Conseil Supérieur de La Défense. pic.twitter.com/KwNevCIQmg
— Patrick Muyaya (@PatrickMuyaya) May 28, 2022