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US sanctions Rwandan minister, M23 spox
Congolese people displaced following recent clashes between the M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), leave the camps and return to their homes after the M23 rebels instructed them to vacate the camps in the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo February 12, 2025.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
What you need to know:
- Rwanda rejects allegations from Congo, the United Nations, and Western powers that it supports M23 with arms and troops. It says it is defending itself against the threat from a Hutu militia, which it says is fighting with the Congolese military.
- “Sanctions are unjustified, the international community should support not undermine ongoing regional efforts towards a political solution," Rwanda's government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told Reuters in a text message. "If sanctions could resolve conflict in eastern DRC, we would have had peace in the region decades ago."
Washington
The United States on Thursday said it was imposing sanctions on a Rwandan government minister and a senior member of an armed group for their alleged role in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
