The Mayor of Rubavu district, Gilbert Habyarimana said the incident happened on Tuesday evening when Rwandan security forces stationed in Cyanzarwe sector Rubavu district spotted a group of people approaching the border.
“During a night military operation, three smugglers were killed while attempting to escape while five others were captured before they could flee” Habyarimana said.
The incident occurred after the Rwandan army stepped up its vigilance along the border to prevent Hutu militias operating from Eastern DR Congo from crossing through porous entry points.
Currently about 7,000 people cross the Rwanda/DR Congo border each day through the post commonly called Grande Barriere on the Rubavu-Goma border and 45,000 people pass through the Rubavu-Goma border post commonly called Petite Barriere.
In a recent report, the United Nations has expressed worries over the continued existence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), rebels linked to the 1994 genocide, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.