Rwanda’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has placed over $1 billion in global aid at risk, according to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Lammy delivered a direct warning to Rwandan President Paul Kagame in a phone call following discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the escalating crisis.
Rwanda receives substantial international aid annually, including approximately £32 million in bilateral assistance from the UK. Lammy made it clear that this support is under threat due to Rwanda’s military actions.
“All of that is under threat when you attack your neighbours, and we are clear that we cannot have countries challenging the territorial integrity of other countries. Just as we will not tolerate it in the continent of Europe, we cannot tolerate it wherever in the world it happens. We have to be clear about that.”
David Lammy
His remarks signal a significant shift in the UK’s stance on Rwanda, breaking away from the more supportive policies pursued by previous Labour and Conservative governments, including influential figures such as former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
For years, Kagame has been praised on the global stage, with many world leaders overlooking his domestic policies due to his role in ending the 1994 Rwandan genocide and improving public health. However, Rwanda’s reported backing of M23 rebels in the DRC has drawn sharp criticism and raised concerns about its regional ambitions.
This week, M23 rebels, allegedly supported by Rwanda, captured the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The latest escalation in the conflict has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and displaced more than a million people in recent years.
The DRC government, along with UN officials and nations such as the US, has accused Rwanda of actively fueling the violence. Reports suggest that Rwanda has deployed thousands of troops and heavy weapons in Congolese territory in support of M23.
The UK’s policy shift is contingent on Rwanda’s response to international demands to withdraw from Goma. However, diplomatic relations between the UK and Rwanda are unlikely to recover easily.
Kagame’s status as a political ally of the UK was solidified in 2022 when he agreed to a British proposal to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda. To uphold the deal, the UK government had to overlook Rwanda’s human rights record and officially designate it as a safe country for migrants. At the time, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Rwanda as “one of the safest countries in the world.”
However, internal UK government documents tell a different story. Freedom of Information requests revealed that while the Home Office was assuring Parliament of Rwanda’s safety, the Foreign Office was simultaneously drafting contingency plans in case of war between Rwanda and the DRC.
Rwanda’s Denial and the Fight for Resources
For years, Kagame has denied that Rwanda interferes in the internal affairs of its much larger neighbor or provides military support to M23. However, successive reports by UN experts have pointed to direct links between the rebel group and Kigali.
Lammy’s stance this week was unequivocal. Speaking to MPs, he stated, “We know that M23 rebels could not have taken Goma without material support from Rwanda defence forces.”
Kagame, however, maintains that the real aggressor is DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, whom he accuses of arming the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia group linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This argument has found support from figures such as Tony Blair, whose institute advised Kagame’s government for over 15 years.
The conflict in eastern DRC has long been entangled with economic interests. Rwanda’s mining revenues hit a record $1.1 billion in 2022, according to the Rwandan Mining Authority. Congolese Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi said that much of this wealth originates from the DRC’s rich mineral deposits.
M23’s presence in North Kivu is not coincidental. The region is home to vast reserves of valuable minerals, including coltan, cassiterite, and tungsten — key components in modern electronics. The recent capture of Goma is expected to facilitate the smuggling of these resources into Rwanda.
Bintou Keita, head of the UN mission in the DRC, warned in September that “The criminal laundering of the DRC’s natural resources smuggled out of the country is strengthening armed groups.”
At the UN Security Council this week, Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner condemned Rwanda’s actions.
“What the DRC is going through is not a conflict like others. It is a deliberate and methodical aggression against a sovereign state, a flagrant violation of the founding principles of this organization and an intolerable attack against international peace and security.”
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner
With diplomatic tensions rising and international pressure mounting, Rwanda now faces a crucial decision: retreat and salvage its foreign aid or press forward and risk further isolation.
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