Rwanda pledges full allegiance to Ruto’s co-chaired process hours after US Sanctions over DRC conflict
Hours after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration, James Kabarebe, President Paul Kagame’s administration pledged their full support to the mediation process co-chaired by President William Ruto.
In a statement late Thursday, February 20, 2025, Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry indicated it was fully committed to the African-led process of addressing the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Specifically, Rwanda noted that it was backing the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit co-chaired by President Ruto and his Zimbabwe counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“The international community should fully support and respect the African-led mediation process, which was recently strengthened by the joint EAC-SADC Summit and the African Union Summit.
“This is the only credible pathway to a negotiated solution, and Rwanda is fully committed to it,” Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry insisted.
Ruto and Mnangagwa co-chaired the joint EAC-SADC summit in Tanzania on February 8, 2025, where they urged all parties in the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to cease hostilities and embrace dialogue.
“An immediate ceasefire is the only way by which we can create necessary conditions for constructive dialogue and implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement,” Ruto said during the joint summit.
Dismisses US sanctions
The statement confirming their commitment to the process co-chaired by Ruto came after President Donald Trump’s administration slammed sanctions on Rwanda’s minister James Kabarebe accusing him of being central to M23 operations.
“Kabarebe is a Rwandan government liaison to M23 and orchestrates RDF support for the armed group. In addition, Kabarebe manages much of Rwanda and M23’s generation of revenue from the DRC’s mineral resources. He has coordinated the export of extracted minerals from mining sites in the DRC for eventual export from Rwanda,” the US Treasury Department detailed.
Besides Kabarebe, the US also sanctioned the M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston and his two companies; Kingston Fresh LTD (Kingston Fresh), a service company in the UK and Kingston Holding, a mining consultancy firm based in Paris, France.
Responding to the sanctions, Rwanda maintained that US designations would not solve the issue. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs termed the move as external interference which they insisted would not help address the conflict.
“Rwanda’s only aim is a secure border and an irreversible end to the politics of armed ethnic extremism in our region. This is a matter of national security, and that is our only driver. Rwandans have the right to live in peace and without the perpetual threat of insecurity originating from the DRC.
“Punitive measures, including sanctions, make no contribution toward long-term security, peace and stability for all the countries of the Great Lakes region. Such measures can only be construed as unwarranted external interference in the African-led process, which risks prolonging the resolution of the conflict,” Rwanda made it clear.
Earlier, Belgium and Germany had expressed their readiness to also cut ties with Rwanda over their involvement in the DRC conflict. In a rejoinder, Rwanda maintained that it was in any way interfering with DRC affairs.
