Published on : 11/08/2022 – 16:02
The American Secretary of State must leave this Thursday Rwanda, where he arrived last night after a stopover in Kinshasa. After meeting with President Paul Kagame, Antony Blinken held a joint press conference with his counterpart.
With our correspondent in Kigali,Laure Broulard
For Anthony Blinken, the visit to the DRC and then to Rwanda was a real balancing act, as the head of American diplomacy was expected in these two countries on the issue of the M23 rebellion. A recent UN report indicates that Rwanda would support the action of this group in eastern Congo. After meeting Congolese Head of State Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday, the US Secretary of State met with President Paul Kagame this morning. He then held a press conference with Vincent Biruta, the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In front of the journalists, Antony Blinken did not openly condemn Rwanda, but simply indicated that the credible information indicating Kigali’s support for the M23 and the presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC were discussed with Paul Kagame. ” My message to the two presidents, Congolese and Rwandan, was the same, did he declare. Any support or collaboration with armed groups in eastern DRC jeopardizes regional stability. »
Antony Blinken took into account Kigali’s point of view in the crisis, since he specified that this principle applies to the M23 but also to the FDLR, this rebel group opposed to the government of Paul Kagame, and which, according to Kigali, fighting alongside the Congolese army. For Rwanda, the FDLR are the main cause of instability in the region. Vincent Biruta called him back this morning. The head of Rwandan diplomacy also once again denied any support from his country to the M23, and claimed the right of Rwanda to protect its sovereignty and its people in the event of an attack.
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No announcement about Paul Rusesabagina
Antony Blinken was also highly anticipated on the issue of human rights. Rwanda is regularly accused of fiercely repressing freedom of expression and dissent, even beyond its borders. NGOs such as Human Rights Watch had thus called on the Secretary of State to make strong statements on the subject. Antony Blinken expressed his concerns about human rights in the country.
« We believe that the criminalization of the participation of certain individuals in politics and the harassment of those who criticize the government in place jeopardize the peace, stability and future successes of Rwanda. “, he specified. No announcement, however, about opponent Paul Rusesabagina, whom the United States considers to be unjustly imprisoned. His conviction and trial were also discussed with the Rwandan authoritiesand this is an issue that should continue to be addressed in future discussions between the two countries.