Rwanda has condemned the United States' decision to impose sanctions on its Minister of State for Regional Integration, James Kabarebe, over allegations of supporting the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry denounced the move as “unjustified and unfounded,” arguing that punitive measures would not resolve the long-standing conflict.
“If sanctions could resolve conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, we would have had peace in the region decades ago,” the ministry said in a statement.
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the measures on Thursday, citing Kabarebe’s central role in Rwanda’s alleged backing of the armed group.
The US also imposed sanctions on M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka and two companies linked to him—Kingston Fresh, a UK-based food services firm, and Kingston Holding, a French mining consultancy. Washington urged Rwanda to withdraw its forces from eastern Congo and engage in diplomatic efforts under the Angola-led Luanda Process.
However, Kigali sees the sanctions as “unwarranted external interference” that could prolong the conflict rather than resolve it.