The authorities of the East African state said that the British decision to stop the aid to Rwanda in England was “punished.”
In the statement, the British said they oppose Rwanda’s support for M23, a rebel group that occupied Suwasu, the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rwanda was used to refuse to support the M23, but recently adopted a defensive line, saying that fighting near the border of Dr. Congo and Rwanda is a threat to security.
The Congo government said that more than 7,000 people died and hundreds of thousands of people escaped their homes since the conflict expanded in January.
The British said in a statement on Tuesday evening that Dr. Congo’s humanitarian situation will be “important” and will stop quantum aid for Rwanda.
Earlier this month, David Lammy, British Foreign Minister, said Rwanda received a bilateral aid from the United Kingdom every year.
The United Kingdom said it would investigate the potential sanctions with the suspension of the aid and to force Rwanda to stop other measures, such as stopping “future defense training.”
These measures will continue until the “important progress” is done to stop hostility and withdraw Rwanda soldiers from Dr. Congo.
UN experts estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwanda troops were in Eastern DR CONGO before.
Rwanda’s foreign minister said that the British government could regret the “punishment measures” announced by the British government in response to the conflict of the Eastern DRC.
“This measure does nothing to help the Democratic Republic of Congo and does not contribute to achieving sustainable political solutions to the conflict between the Eastern DRC.”
The UK had a good relationship with Rwanda before. In 2022, the two countries signed millions of pounds, and some of the asylum applicants who arrived at the UK soil would be expelled to Rwanda.
The contract faced legal issues and was abandoned last year after the British government’s change.
Dr. Congo’s government has been campaigning to stop Rwanda for international power and to impose sanctions.
Last week, the US Treasury said it imposed sanctions on the Secretary of State James Kabarebe.
The United States accused the former army director Kabarebe at the center of Rwanda’s M23.
He also sanctioned two companies in France and the United Kingdom, a spokesman for M23.
Rwanda’s foreign minister said that sanctions were “not justified.”
M23 says that they are fighting to achieve A better rights to TUTSISAs a minority group of Dr. Congo, he ordered a failure.
The rebels occupied GOMA and Bukavu, the two largest cities of Dr. Congo.
