RWANDA’S President Paul Kagame responded within hours after the United Kingdom (UK) imposed sanctions on him due to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement dated Tuesday, 25 February 2025, Kagame described the sanctions as “punitive” and accused the UK of taking sides in the conflict.
“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,” the statement read.
Kagame argued that it is unreasonable to expect Rwanda to compromise its national security and the safety of its citizens.
According to him, the UK government’s measures will neither help the DRC nor contribute to a sustainable political solution to the eastern DRC conflict.
He further accused the DRC government of indiscriminately bombing villages, targeting a specific community, while the international community remained silent.
“The government of the DRC has much more to answer for than any other party in the DRC or the region, yet it continues to evade accountability for various violations for reasons that are obvious to all.
“Consistently failing to hold the DRC government accountable for repeated attacks on its citizens, including the ongoing indiscriminate bombing of Ban-yamulenge (Tutsi community living in DRC) villages in South Kivu, encourages the DRC to persist down a military path, prolonging the conflict and the suffering of civilians,” Kagame stated.
Despite the sanctions, Kagame reiterated that Rwanda would continue to demand security guarantees, which he asserts the DRC and the international community have so far been unwilling or unable to provide.
“This perpetual situation of instability seems to benefit, directly or indirectly, many involved in the conflict,” he alleged.
Eighteen-Eleven Media