Rwanda

Risk Level: Three - Caution

[ about risk levels ]
Incident on Jan 24, 2023, where a Congo DRC fighter jet came under fire from the Rwandan military in border airspace near FZNA/Goma. There are no active airspace warnings for either the FZZA/Kinshasa or HYRY/Kigali FIRs, but this happened near open airways, and in close proximity to an international airport. While the risk to aircraft at high altitudes is minimal, aircraft landing or departing (including diversions) near the shared border may be exposed to increased risk at lower levels.

Major events:
Jan 2023: The Rwandan military shot at a fighter jet from the Democratic Republic of Congo which they claimed had busted Rwandan airspace near Goma. Reports suggest the aircraft was hit by a man portable air defence system (MANPAD) at low level - the jet landed safely but sustained heavy damage. This has been declared an 'act of war' by the DRC, and is the latest escalation in a growing conflict.



Read: Africa Airspace Risk, Jet Shot in Rwanda, Jan 2023 (OPSGROUP article)