Rwanda Denies Joseph Kabila Is Its Liaison to the M23 and Responds to U.S. Sanctions

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told AFP that the crisis in eastern DR Congo is a Congolese matter, rejecting claims that former president Joseph Kabila is Kigali’s liaison to the M23. On October 28, Washington sanctioned Rwanda’s Defence Ministry and Zigama Credit and Savings Society, which it accuses of facilitating weapons purchases and the transfer of gold from M23-controlled areas. The United States says thousands of Rwandan troops are fighting alongside the M23 and demands that Kigali end its support for the group and withdraw its forces from eastern DR Congo. Government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo shifted responsibility to Kinshasa and cited commitments to neutralize the FDLR.