Article Author:
Associated Press
Ignatius Ssuuna
Kigali, Rwanda (AP) — Secretary of State Anthony Brinken is in Rwanda. He articulated Washington's new strategy for engaging sub-Saharan African countries as "equal partners."
Blinken's arrival in Rwanda comes at a particularly difficult time for the Great Lakes region of Africa, where the small Central African country faces its vast neighbor Congo and both governments backing rival rebels. are at odds over the claim that
In a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday, Brinken is expected to discuss efforts to defuse tensions. It rejects a new report by a UN expert who said there was "hard evidence" that it was conducting operations in eastern Congo to support the M23 rebel group.
Brinken said reports that Rwanda was backing his M23 appeared "credible". After meeting with officials in Congo on Tuesday, he said the US supports African-led efforts to end the fighting.
Rwandan authorities accused the Congo of sheltering Hutu fighters who played a role in his 1994 Rwandan genocide, which killed Tutsi and moderate Hutus. ing. There have long been tensions between the two countries. In the late 1990s, Rwanda sent troops deep into Congo on two occasions and joined forces with rebel leader Laurent Kabila to oust the country's longtime dictator Mobutu Seseseko.
Both Rwanda and Congo have denied accusations of aiding rebels, and Rwandan authorities have called the latest report by UN experts "unsuccessful." We reject it as a move to distract us from real problems. Rwanda also maintains that it cannot meet its security needs while armed fugitives from the genocide continue to operate from within Congolese territory.
6 July Meetings between Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Angola on Sunday issued a statement calling for a return to normal diplomatic relations, an end to hostilities and an "immediate and unconditional withdrawal" of the M23s. in eastern Congo.
But his M23, mostly Tutsi from Congo, continues to be located near the border with Uganda, keeping Rwanda in the spotlight.
In a letter to Blinken last month, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for a comprehensive review of US policy toward Rwanda, urging Washington to support Rwanda. pointed out concerns about It is inconsistent with U.S. values as dictatorial and oppressive by human rights groups.
The State Department said Brinken in Rwanda also raises concerns about democracy and human rights, including cross-border crackdowns and limited space for opposition forces.
Also on the agenda is Paul Rusesabagina, a US permanent resident who was convicted last year on terrorism-related charges and is incarcerated in Rwanda. Rusesabagina, who became famous for protecting Tutsis during the genocide in the movie Hotel Rwanda, was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In a statement prior to Blinken's visit, the Rwandan government "expected a lively exchange of views on governance and human rights, as has always been the case between Rwanda and the United States." There are,” he said. bilateral relations. It acknowledged that negotiations would include the situation in Rusesabagina.
The trip also saw Blinken visit South Africa, where he described a strategy "rooted in the perception that sub-Saharan Africa was a major geopolitical force".
