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The UK government announced on Tuesday that it would halt most direct bilateral aid to Rwanda due to an offensive by the M23 group in eastern DR Congo, which UN experts claim is backed by Rwandan troops. Rwanda criticised the actions as “punitive.”
This announcement from the UK follows a meeting last week between UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali, as well as Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa.
The M23 armed group, which receives support from Rwanda, has taken control of significant areas in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, including key cities like Goma and Bukavu, and has encountered minimal resistance from Congolese forces.
The group now dominates extensive parts of the troubled region, leading to a mass exodus of thousands of residents.
According to a spokesperson for the UK government, Lammy made it clear that the international community would respond strongly to the escalating conflict.
Until “significant progress,” the UK will also stop future defence training support to Rwanda and consult with partners regarding “potential new sanctions,” as stated by the Foreign Office. The Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) export licenses will also be reassessed.
“The punitive measures announced today by the UK Government in response to the conflict in eastern DRC where the UK has now clearly chosen a side are regrettable,” Rwanda’s foreign ministry said.
“The measures do nothing to help the Democratic Republic of Congo, nor do they contribute to achieving a sustainable political solution to the conflict in eastern DRC.”
For over thirty years, eastern DR Congo has been plagued by conflict and hostilities among various armed groups.
