Following the decision by the United States to cut military aid to Rwanda on grounds that the latter allegedly supports rebel mutinies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, has said the donor is free to dispense or withhold support, but that the premise is ill-informed.
The U.S. government, Saturday, said it has cut this year's planned military assistance to Rwanda amid concerns that the government in Kigali is supporting rebel movements in neighbouring Congo.
The aid cut by the US is equivalent to US$200,000 which was part of initially pledged military aid for a training academy. The State Department said they would relocate the amount to another country.
"While we respect the rights of any development partner, at the same time we must make it clear to our friends in Washington and elsewhere that this decision is based on bad information, and is wrong on the facts. As we have made clear from the outset, Rwanda is neither the cause nor the enabler of instability in the eastern DRC," Mushikiwabo said.
A report by a Group of UN Experts say there is evidence Rwanda is backing the M23 mutineers but Kigali has refuted the allegations.
Minister Mushikiwabo, who also doubles as the government spokesperson, pointed out that Rwandan officials are meeting with the UN Group of Experts in Kigali next week to discuss the Group's interim findings on the current eastern DRC conflict as outlined in a recent report to the UN Security Council.
Rwanda has previously stated that a "media frenzy" had forced the UN's decision to publish the report - without allowing Kigali an opportunity to respond systematically to the allegations, which implicate Rwanda's senior defence and military officers.
"We will go through each allegation contained in the interim report (Of the UN Group of Experts) and debunk them line by line. We will present our rebuttal to our development partners, including the United States, said Mushikiwabo.
"In the meantime, we will focus on the Joint Verification Mechanism with the DRC and will work with regional partners to implement a new border patrol initiative. Peace in the eastern DRC is the outcome desired by all parties, none more so than Rwanda," she added.
In blocking their aid to Rwanda, the U.S. State Department cited evidence of Rwandan support for the rebels.
"The United States government is deeply concerned about the evidence that Rwanda is implicated in the provision of support to Congolese rebel groups, including M23," said Hilary Fuller Renner, a State Department spokeswoman, in a statement.
"We will not obligate $200,000 in Fiscal Year 2012 Foreign Military Financing funds that were intended to support a Rwandan academy for non-commissioned officers. These funds will be reallocated for programming in another country," she said.
She, however, added that the United States would continue to help Rwanda support peacekeeping missions. Rwanda has a major peacekeeping presence in Sudan's Darfur region.
Washington's move comes a week after President Paul Kagame and his Congolese Counterpart, Joseph Kabila met on the sidelines of the 19th African Union Summit and agreed in principle to back a neutral international armed force to combat Congo's newest rebellion and other fighters like the FDLR terrorising civilians in the DRC, and the African Union said it could help by sending soldiers. Details, however, have remained sketchy.
Congo already has the world's largest peacekeeping force of nearly 20,000 U.N. soldiers and police that cost nearly $1.5 billion in 2011 - the heavily equipped and financed force has been accused of failing to execute its mandate.
Congolese troops have tried for years, with little success, to subdue rebel groups in the volatile eastern provinces.
The east DRC's conflict is a hangover from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda that claimed over a million lives. Most of those who participated in the Genocide escaped into Congo and still fight there todate.
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Sooo, I don't know who you are to say "genocide against blah blah blah", but the USA or even Congo did not intervene to stop the genocide. Let's say that the Rwandan government is at fault in SOME of this crisis. THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU ANY RIGHT AT ALL to say "genocide against blah blah blah" when 1 million people lost their lives. Up to this day, the world should remember that they failed Rwanda, after most of the countries had signed for the 1949 Geneva Conventions that said the world would intervene anywhere in the world where there would be a genocide. And for what I know, the Uranium used in atomic bombs was from Congo, Belgians have nice housing furniture that was built using Congo's riches...I even heard Japanese used to use electricity from Congo(not sure about this one). So, history shows that the West is not looking for Congo's interests. I think that we should try to solve our own problems as involving the West usually ends up being worse than using our own strategies/methods of understanding.
Signed: a Rwandan with a desire to see Africa rise
THIS IS TRULY THE TIME FOR THE AFRICAN UNIONJ TO GAIN SOME TRACTION IN ALL AFRICA. THERE IS 20 BILLION MADE AVAILABLE FOR AFRICA TO FEND FOR SELF. THE COUNTRIES THAT NEED THE MOST SHOULD MAKE THESE FUNDS AVAILABLE. NOT SOUNDING UNGRATEWFUL THE SWISH FUND COULD BE A FRACTION MORE JUST TO ACCOMODATE EVERYSINGLE NATION ON THE CONTINENT. THE BIG ECONOMIES NEED AT LEAST ONE BILLION EACH FOR POSTERITY 1 BILLION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL. WHAT WE DO NOT NEED IS THESE RUMOUR MONGERING ORGANISATIONS THAT SELL RUMOURS TRY TO DICTATE WASHINGTONSD AGENDA IN AFRICA. WHAT WE MUST TAKE ON BOARD IS THAT AS RWANDAN GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT THERE WAS A MUTNIY WHERE SOLDIERS LEFT THIER POSITIONS WITH WEAPONS . COMMON SENSE SAYS THAT THERE IS NO MUTINY WITHOUT WEAPONS. IT WA NOT SPORADIC SO THEY MADE SURE THEY TOOK ENOUGH LIGHT AND HEAVY WEAPONS THAT WOULD SUSTAIN ANY EMBATTLED SCENARIO THAT CONFRONTED THEM. LETR US NOT FORGET THAT SINCE THE USA HAS SENT TROPS INTO AFRICA THIER RAPID ESCALATION WITH BRIBERY FORCE HAS SENT AFRICA INTO A TAIL SPIN. THEY WANT TO HAVE EVERYTHING THIER WAY, THEY WANT MISCREANTS BEING RULERTS FORGETTING THE PEOPLE CORRUPTION BEING RIFE THEY ALSO WANT THEW RESOURCES AND THEY WANT TO FIGHT PROXYWARS IN AFRICA. EVERYTIME I LOOK THEY HAVE OSME FORM OF AMERICAN GOVERNMNETAL INSTITUTION IN AFRICA WE NOW HAVE DEA WHY? THE US HAS 70 BASES IN COLOMBIA AND THE SPREAD OF COCAINE IS WORLD WIDE THEY HAVE MULTI NATIONAL TROOPS ON AFGHANISTAN AND THE SPREAD OF HEROIN IS MORE THAN NAY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIVE THEY WANT TO SATURATE AFRICA WITH DRUGS AS THEY HAVE DONE WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN THE USA. WHAT I KNOW IS THAT THEY USE ALL THESE TRICKS TO UNDERMINE BLACK PEOPLE. THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH RUMOUR MONGERING GOING ON IN EAST AFRICA. THEY WANT TO DISTABLISE SOMALIA WITH A GOVERNMENT THAT WILL GIVE THEM IMPUNITY IN SOMALIA THEY ANT ACORRUPT GOVERNMENT NOT ONE THAT IS BASED ON ANYTHING TO DO WITH SHARIA WHICH THEY KNOW IS IN COMPLTET OPPOSSITION TO THIER CORRUPTIVE WAYS. THEY WANT TO COME INTO AFRICA WITH SECURITY CHALLENGES. HAVE WE NOT SEEN THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE IN AMERICA THEY CANT EVEN SCREEN THIER OWN TERRORIST HOEM GROWN. WHAT WE SAW IN COLORADO IS NO DIFFERNT TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN AFGHANISTAN; COULD YOU NOT SEE THE TERROR THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE FACED WITHIN THIS THEATRE. NO WHERE TO GO SMOKE BOMBS A MACHINE GUN AND SMALARMS FIRE TERRORIST BY EVERYSENSE OF THE WORD!!!!!!!!!. THEY WANT TO GO AROUND THE WORLD STARTING UNLI MITED WARS YET THEY CAN NOT PUT OUT THE FIRES AT HOME. WE ARE BEING CONFRONTED IN AFRICA BY WARS ON TERROR DRUG WARS THESE ARE AL;L AMERICAN WARS WHY BRING IT TO AFRICA. WE NEED TO COMEOFF THIS PAGE WITH AMERICA OR WE WILL NOT MAKE ANY PROGERSS FOR OUR PEOPLE. THERE ARE TOO MANY RUMOURS WHICH INHABBITTS TOO MANY WARS.RUMOURS IN THE DRC RUMOURS IN SUDAN RUMOURS IN EAST AFRICA RUMOURS IN WEST AFRICA IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL THEY WILL START TO WAGE THIER WARSIN AFRICA AS WE SEE IN IRAQ SYRIA AFGHANISTN. THE WAY THEY WANT THE WORLD TO LOOK IS LIKE THIS THEY REIGN SUPEIRO EVRYHWERE ELSE IS FULL OF CONFLICT CRISIS MWAR TURMPOIL WHILE THEY AND THIER ALLIES CONTIUE TO PLUNDER PILLAGE AND MAKE DEMANDS ON OTHER COUNBTRIES THAT DO NOT BENIFIT THESE COUNTRIES. WE NEED TO MAKE A STAND WE ALSO NEED TO GET RID OF THESE PRESEIDENTS WHOM ARE DRAGGING US INOT THE AMERICAN ORBIT WITH THIER CORRUPTION AND BLIND LEADERSHIP. IVE SEEN IT ALL. THY EASE IN WITH THIER GUNS THIER MONYE SPAREPARTS AMMUNITIONS THEN YOU ARE HOOKED LIKE A BIG SUCKERFISH. STRAY FAR AWAY FROM THESE CRIMINALS ; THEY ARE THE MOST VIOLENT COERCIVE CORRUPTIVE PERSITENT DIABGOLIC MONSTROSITY ON THE PLANET. THIS INDEED THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAM THERE IS OVER ONE AND HALF BILLION PEOPLE OR MORE OBSERVING RAMADAM WHETHER YOU ARE CHRISTIAN OR NOT , PLEASE MY PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT HIS MONTH IS A MONTH OF PEACE GOOD WILL CHARITY TOWARDS ALL HUMANITY. WE MUST STRAY FROM CORRUPTION MISUSE OF POWER AND NTO STRAY FROM THE AGANDA THAT IS BEFORE YOU. THIS THE TIME THAT IS SET FOR AFRICA TO RISE FROM TEH AHSES OF ENSLAVEMENT COLOINIALISM CORRUPTION WE MUST HAVE ORU OWN IDENTITITY AND SEEK TO REFINE WHAT IT IS THAT IS OUR DESTINY" DPENDENCE IS NOT ONE THERE ARE MANY OFFERS FOR US TO BE PART OF OTHER GOVERNMENST WHOM HAVE MADE PROGRESS WHOM ARE READY TO SHARE THIER TECHNOLOGIES THEIR SCIENCES THIER SKILLS WITH US. WE MUST GRASP THIS WITH ALL OUR MINDS. THIS MEANS THAT WE CANNOT PROGRES WHEN THE DEVIL IS GIVING US MORE WEAPONS TO FIGHT MORE WARS. WE MUSTD ECIDE WHAT AFRICA WANTS NEUTRALITY OR WASR WE MUST SAY NO TO ANYW ARS OR CONFLICT WQE WILL DEVELOP MENTLLY BEFORE WE EVEN CONSIDER WARFARE. FIRST AND FOREMOST WEE CAN NOT WIN A REAL WAR WE DO NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH AND MIND SET TO DO SO. UNTILL WE ARE ABLE TO BUILD A DEFENSIVE MECHANISMS THAT CAN DEFEND ALL THE BORDER OF AFRICA AERIAL SEA AND LAND BORDERS THEN WE ARE DEPENDENT. IT WOULD BE IN OUR INETERST TO BUILD AN EDUCATED WIZE SOCIETY FILLED WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO BEABLE TO GRANT US THIS PREVILDGE TO BECOME LEADERS IN TECHNOL;OGY AND DEFENSIVE CAPABIL;ITY THAT IS HOME MADE. WE ARE RIGHT NOW THE ONLY PEOPLE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY THAT WQE CAN BOAST AS HOEM MADE. WE SUFFER THE MOST IN POVERTY ILLNESSES CONFLICT AND REFUGEES. THEY BRING TO OUR CONTIENNT THE MONST CONFLICT KEEPING OUR PEOPLES UN BALANCED WITH TERROR CRISIS WAR FARE. I PERSONALYSAW THE CONFLICT DRIVEN CRISIS IN VVORY COAST WITH MILLIONS BEING DEISPACED INTENTIONALY BY SRACOZY WHY HAS HE NOT BEEN CHARGE YET. AFRICANS ARE BEING USED AS PAWNS ON THIER CHESS BOARD CREATING ALL TYPES OF IN BALANCE ONTHE CONTINENT. WE MUST NOT BE TAKEN IN BY THESE TRICKSTERS. AGAIN I SAY THEY WANT ONE THING HEGEMONY; WORLD WIDE POWER AT EVERY OTHER HUMAN BEINGS EXPENSE!!! READ BETWEEN THE LINES WHY WOULD RWANDA NEED TO PROP UP TROOPS AT THIS TMIME IN HSITORY THEY ARE DOING JUST FINE. LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN THE DRC THERE ARE THOUSNADS OF UN STAIONED INTHIS COUNTRY ALONE MORE THAN NAYWHERE ELSEW INTHE WORLD. THERE IS LEADERTSHIP PROBLEM WITH THE AMERICAN LED GOVERNMENT OF KABILA WE KNOW HE IS CORRUPT WE KNW HE IS UNDER WESTERN INFLUINCE WE KNOW HE LOST THE LAST ELECTIONS. UNTIL WE RID OURSE;VES OF PRIVATEERS WHOM ARE WILLING TO SELL OUR PEOPLE INTO SLAVERY THEN WE MUST NOT FALL VICTIM TO TALK OR RUMOUR PROPOGANDAS. WE NEED TO ATEK ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WHOM ARE WILLING TO SHOW US HOW TO MINE INTODAYS TIME WITH THE USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR INORDER TO MINE. WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO MANUFACTURE TARCTORS TOOLS ENGINES LARGHE ENOUGH TO POWER CRANES ALL SORTS. "WE NEED TO GET THE POWER ISSUE SORTED SO WE CAN PEOPLE POWER ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FORGET THE RUMOUR MILL GET RID OF SOEM OF THESE ANTI AFRICAN ORGANISATIONS THOSE THAT ARE TRULY CIA CONNECTED WHICH ARE MOSTLY EVERYSINGLE ONE. THE USA MILITARY INDUSTRAIL COMPLEX IS VERY DEEP WITHIN WORLD POLITRICKS THEY WANT POWER IN THE WORLD SO THEY DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM DISTABLISING ANY GOVERNMENTS WE MUST NTO MAKE IT HAPPEN WE NEED A MORE GROUNDED AFRICAN UNION THAT IS ABLE TO DICTATE TO THE WEST WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THIER BAG OF TRIKS TRIKK ARE FOR KIDS NOT ADULTS!!
Why are they making so much noise about a mere 200,000 dollars? And do they keep on hitting our ears with that so-called 1994 genocide against tutsis by utus? If that they are really concerned about that so called genocide, why have they been orchestrating an even bigger mass killing of more than five millions (and counting) congolese citizens? We are tired of hrearing this noise of any genocide that supposedly happened in Rwanda.
Kagame and his cronies should just be arrested, and killed, without any judgement. Because we all know what he has done...
Still trying to bring the so called "genocide against the blah blah blah" BS. How do you explain 5 million plus people who lost their lives in DR of Congo due to the war that Rwanda has been openly involved in Eastern DR Congo. Obama is not dumb like his predecessors, he does what's right and this is the right start. Plus, it's only $200 000. Stop crying. I would like every aid to Rwanda to be cut.