Rwanda-United Kingdom: sanctions deemed regrettable

The Rwandan government has said that the sanctions announced by the United Kingdom against Rwanda are regrettable. It stressed that it will continue to demand security guarantees.

This statement was made this Wednesday, February 26, 2025 by the spokesperson for the Rwandan government, Yolande Makolo. She was reacting to the sanctions announced by the United Kingdom against Rwanda, accusing it of supporting the M23 rebel group.

Yolande Makolo reaffirmed that Rwanda can never compromise its national security and that of Rwandans. She indicated that these punitive measures will not serve the Democratic Republic of Congo in any way.

“These punitive measures will not serve the DRC. It is unreasonable to expect Rwanda to compromise its national security and that of Rwandans. These measures do nothing to help the Democratic Republic of Congo and do not contribute to the search for a lasting political solution to the conflict in eastern DRC,” Makolo said.

The Rwandan government spokesperson also stressed that the DRC government is the actor that has more to answer for than any other actor in the DRC. She said that the failure to consistently hold the DRC government accountable for repeated attacks on its own citizens, encourages the DRC government to persist in a military approach, which consequently prolongs the conflict and the suffering of civilians.

According to Yolande Makolo, security guarantees will always be required by the Rwandan government. She revealed that some actors are taking advantage of this insecurity in the East of the DRC.

“Rwanda will continue to demand security guarantees, which the DRC and the international community have so far been unable or unwilling to provide. This perpetual situation of instability appears to benefit, directly or indirectly, a number of actors involved in the conflict,” Yolande Makolo stressed.

She also took the opportunity to explain that Rwanda remains fully committed to working with partner states in the African-led mediation process. The Rwandan government calls on the international community to support these efforts as the only credible path to a negotiated solution.

On Tuesday 25 February 2025, the United Kingdom announced that it would suspend part of its bilateral aid to Rwanda and impose further diplomatic sanctions on Rwanda due to its role in the conflict in Congo.

The UK said it would also coordinate with its partners on potential new sanctions. The suspension of defence training aid to Rwanda and the review of export licences for the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) were cited.