US imposes visa restrictions on Rwandan officials after sanctions targeting military
ABC News
The U.S. is imposing visa restrictions on “several senior Rwandan officials for fueling instability” in eastern Congo, the State Department said on Friday, intensifying pressure on the East African country after sanctions announced earlier this week
KAMPALA, Uganda -- The U.S. is imposing visa restrictions on “several senior Rwandan officials for fueling instability” in eastern Congo, the State Department said on Friday, intensifying pressure on the East African country after sanctions announced earlier this week.
The unnamed officials are targeted for their support of Congo's M23 rebel group, which the U.S. government says persists despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed in December between the governments of Rwanda and Congo.
“By continuing to support M23 and violating the Washington Accords, these individuals are driving violence and undermining the stability” in the region, said the statement attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The U.S. said it “expects all parties to the Washington Accords to fully honor their commitments,” which include expectations for Congo to immediately neutralize armed groups that threaten Rwanda as well as the withdrawal from Congo of Rwandan troops.
On Monday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Rwandan military and four of its senior officials for supporting M23, whose rebellion has caused the displacement of thousands of people in eastern Congo. The group is also blamed for human rights abuses there.
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