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Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday urged his country to strengthen self-reliance as pressure grows in the United States to impose further sanctions over Rwanda’s alleged involvement in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Rwanda has faced mounting international scrutiny over its support for the M23 armed group, which last year seized large areas of eastern DRC. Although Rwanda and the DRC signed a US-brokered peace agreement late last year, M23 fighters captured another major city, Uvira, just days later.
Calls for tougher action against Kigali gained momentum on January 22, when a US House of Foreign Affairs subcommittee expressed bipartisan support for additional sanctions.
Speaking at an event in Kigali, Kagame stressed Rwanda’s determination to remain independent and resilient. He said the country had committed itself to self-reliance so that its survival would not depend on the goodwill of external partners who might offer support today and withdraw it tomorrow.
“Self-reliance is our top priority,” Kagame said, in remarks shared on the presidency’s official X account.
Rwanda maintains that its involvement in eastern DRC aims solely to defend itself against hostile militias linked to perpetrators of the 1994 genocide, while denying direct military engagement despite reports from United Nations experts and others.
However, Kagame appeared to acknowledge a Rwandan presence in the conflict, noting that denying involvement raises questions about defensive actions, while admitting it shifts all focus onto Rwanda.
In a notable development, Rwanda’s ambassador to the United States, Mathilde Mukantabana, publicly confirmed for the first time that Rwanda maintains “security coordination” with the M23 and its political wing, the Alliance Fleuve Congo. She told US lawmakers that the coordination aims to prevent another cross-border insurgency that could threaten Rwanda’s existence.
