Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Rwanda and Congo come to blows over refugee crisis

THOUSANDS OF Congolese refugees have been threatened with eviction from Rwanda as tensions between the two African countries grow.

Speaking in the capital Kigali, President Paul Kagame hit back at claims from the international community that violent unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) has been supported by the east-African nation.

He said he would remove refugees from the country if blame continued to be stoked against Rwanda after a UN report backed the claims.

READ MORE: Sudanese minister lauds Qatar support to Sudan

“We cannot keep being host to refugees for which we are later on held accountable in some way or even abused about — refugees as a result of ethnic cleansing based in another country — and we must be a dumping ground of those people who are being deprived of their rights,” he said.

“We cannot keep being host to refugees for which we are later on held accountable in some way or even abused about — refugees as a result of ethnic cleansing based in another country — and we must be a dumping ground of those people who are being deprived of their rights.”

Mr. Kagame’s comments come after he agreed to send asylum seekers in the UK to start new lives in Rwanda after striking a deal with the British government.

A Congolese government spokesman added fuel to the fire after accusing the Rwandan president of not valuing people’s human rights and claimed that the country had blackmailed the international community by using vulnerable refugees fleeing conflict for political purposes.

The DCR has descended in chaos as their government clashes with M23 rebel movement, which Rwanda’s says is the Congo’s internal issue. More than 70,000 Congolese refugees have fled to Rwanda for safety; some have also escaped to Uganda.

Around 60% of Rwanda’s refugee population is Congolese, according to the Rwandan Ministry of Emergency Management.

Hot this week

Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery Reduces Diesel Prices for the Third Time Since Launch

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has cut the gantry price...

JAMB Warns Universities Against Fake A’Level Admissions, Threatens Sanctions

Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued...

Ex-Lagos Speaker Obasa Sues Assembly Over Impeachment, Seeks Urgent Court Ruling

Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,...

Jimoh Moshood Appointed Lagos Police Chief Amid Rising Security Concerns

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has appointed Moshood Jimoh...

NUC Tightens Rules for Private University Licensing with 14-Step Approval Process

Nigeria's National Universities Commission (NUC) has introduced a comprehensive...

Jimoh Moshood Appointed Lagos Police Chief Amid Rising Security Concerns

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has appointed Moshood Jimoh...

JAMB Warns Universities Against Fake A’Level Admissions, Threatens Sanctions

Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued...

South Africa Weighs Nuclear Bids from Russia and Iran, Risking U.S. Fallout

South Africa is considering bids from Russia and Iran...

NDLEA Cracks Down on Trans-Border Drug Cartel, Seizes 190,960 Tramadol Pills

Nigeria’s anti-drug agency has dismantled a major trans-border drug...

WAEC 2024 Results: 67.55% of Private Candidates Secure Five Credits or More

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the...

Tinubu Blocks AU Proposal to Split Political Affairs and Security Department

President Bola Tinubu has rejected a proposal to divide...

Dangote Group to Invest $400M in Ethiopia Cement Expansion Amid Market Growth

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is doubling down on...

Djibouti’s Youssouf Secures AU Commission Chair, Pledges Security and Unity

Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has emerged as...

Related Articles

Popular Categories