Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and senior military officials over their role in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, calling for an immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the mineral-rich region.
Rwanda has long rejected allegations from Congo, the United Nations and Western powers that it supports the AFC/M23 rebel group, which staged a lightning offensive last year and now controls more territory in eastern Congo than ever before.
But the US Treasury Department said on Monday the rebels’ gains would have been impossible without Rwandan backing, while the State Department said Kigali’s support had enabled “horrific human rights abuses.”
Analysts say the measures could have broader regional implications, particularly for Rwanda’s military deployment in Mozambique, where its forces are helping combat an insurgency.
“It’s simply early to tell how this will materialize and what the European Union’s response is going to be. If the response is very much to work in conjunction with the United States and enforce something against the Rwandan military, that could have a very significant impact in Mozambique and it could definitely erode the Rwandan presence there,” said defence analyst John Stupart.
Stupart said any weakening of Rwanda’s role in Mozambique could increase instability in the region.
“Mozambique is incredibly vulnerable due to Rwandan involvement there and I think the sanctions can serve to only sort of increase that vulnerability and add that risk even further for that whole region,” he added.
In an emailed statement to Reuters, Rwanda’s government said the sanctions unjustly targeted only one party to the peace process and “misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict.”
The statement said Kigali was “fully committed to disengagement of its forces in tandem with the DRC implementing their obligations” under US-led mediation, but accused Congo of failing to meet its commitments, including ending support for militias.
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/us-sanctions-on-rwanda-risk-destabilising-mozambique-mission-analyst/
