Rwanda’s foreign ministry has denounced Canada’s decision to impose sanctions over its involvement in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), calling it “shameful”.The sanctions, announced by Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Monday, include suspending export permits for “controlled goods and technologies” to Rwanda and reviewing Canada’s participation in international events hosted by Kigali.
Rwanda’s foreign ministry responded by saying that Canada’s position on the conflict in eastern DRC is “shameful” and that the sanctions “will not solve the conflict”. The ministry also accused Canada of unfairly blaming Rwanda for the conflict, while ignoring the role of other parties involved.
The conflict in the DRC has been escalating in recent weeks, with the M23 armed group, backed by thousands of Rwandan soldiers, according to UN experts, taking control of large areas of the eastern DRC. The conflict has provoked international condemnation, with several countries, including Canada, the UK, and the US, imposing sanctions on Rwanda.
Rwanda has denied any wrongdoing, accusing other countries of ignoring the root causes of the conflict and the role of other parties involved.² The country has also accused Canada of taking sides in the conflict and of having economic interests in the DRC.
The sanctions imposed by Canada are the latest in a series of measures taken by Western countries against Rwanda over its involvement in the DRC conflict. The UK suspended most bilateral aid to Rwanda in February, while the US sanctioned Rwandan Minister for Regional Integration James Kabarebe earlier this month.
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