Rwanda has received another financial blow – with Germany now pulling the plug on new development aid. Berlin announced that it was also reviewing existing commitments due to Kigali’s role in destabilising the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and supporting the M23 rebel group.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development stated that, after consulting with its partners, “Germany will further restrict bilateral cooperation with Rwanda.” Berlin has urged Kigali to withdraw its support for the M23 rebels and plans to suspend high-level participation in events organised by the Rwandan government. Additionally, Germany seeks an “appropriate reaction” regarding multilateral programmes between the two countries.
Pressure is mounting on Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame over the support for M23. The militia recently advanced deeper into eastern DRC, capturing the cities of Goma and Bukavu. The escalation has displaced more than 700,000 people.
The UK has also just penalised Kigali for its involvement in the conflict in Congo by pausing direct financial aid to the country. The UK has imposed sanctions on Rwanda and warned that more would follow if Kigali continued to defy demands to withdraw its troops from eastern DRC. Rwanda described the UK’s sanctions as “punitive and regrettable.”
However, some argue that these Western nations, whose companies are major beneficiaries of minerals looted by M23 and Rwanda, are only saving face as they have tolerated and enabled Rwanda’s aggressive acts for years by providing Kigali’s military with weapons and funds that ultimately end up in M23’s hands.
Despite multiple reports presenting evidence of Rwandan troops being present in the DRC, Kigali continues to deny this. The UN says up to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are fighting alongside M23 rebels in eastern Congo.
Sources
https://www.reuters.com/world/germany-halts-new-aid-rwanda-over-congo-conflict-2025-03-04/
https://apnews.com/article/congo-rwanda-m23-uk-sanctions-6cd07912cc869e11d2b1014ececd23b2
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgyzl1mlkvo
https://apnews.com/article/un-congo-rwanda-troops-m23-panel-experts-8619a4ce5727a7fec85808ef76762d9b