Crisis in the DRC: Rwanda considers British sanctions “regrettable”

Rwanda qualified on Tuesday as “Regrettable” The sanctions announced by the United Kingdom. The British authorities have announced these measures in response to the support of Rwanda to the rebels who took control of two major cities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, says Africanews.

Although the Rwandan government does not confirm or deny its involvement with the M23, it declared that it was unreasonable to demand from Rwanda that it compromises its national security and that of its citizens. The Office of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development of the United Kingdom has detailed several sanctions against Rwanda, including the suspension of direct financial aid (with the exception of support for the most vulnerable populations), the exclusion of Rwandan high Rwandans of British official events and the cessation of defense cooperation.

In a statement, the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that these measures did not contribute to the resolution of the conflict in the DRC or a sustainable political solution. These sanctions correspond shortly after those imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department against James Kabarebe, Rwandan Minister of State in charge of regional integration and former army commander, accused of playing a key role in the support of Rwanda to the rebels of the M23.

Since December, the M23 group has strengthened its territorial hold in the east of the Congo, in particular seizing the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.