Rwanda slams Canada for sanction over DRC conflict

Rwanda said Tuesday it was “shameful” of Canada to impose sanctions over its involvement in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The M23 armed group — backed by thousands of Rwandan soldiers, according to UN experts — has taken swathes of the eastern DRC in recent weeks, provoking international condemnation.

On Monday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly condemned “the presence of the Rwanda Defence Force in the DRC and its support for the M23”.

Canada said it would suspend export permits for “controlled goods and technologies” to Rwanda and review its participation in international events hosted by Kigali.

Rwanda’s activities “constitute flagrant violations of the DRC’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and of the United Nations Charter”, Joly said in a joint statement with other Canadian ministers.

On Tuesday, Rwanda’s foreign ministry said that Ottowa’s “position on the conflict in eastern DRC is shameful” and the sanctions “will not solve the conflict”.

“Canada cannot claim to welcome the efforts of regional actors in the peace process when it places the blame for all kinds of violations on Rwanda,” it added.

Canada’s action follows an announcement by the British government in February that it would suspend most bilateral aid to Rwanda over the M23 offensive. Kigali labelled the measures as “punitive”.

Earlier in the month, the United States sanctioned Rwandan Minister for Regional Integration James Kabarebe, accusing him of being “central” to the country’s support for M23.