Rwanda hits back at US over 'unjustly' imposed sanctions
Rwanda says the US sanctions are one-sided and denies violating a Washington-brokered ceasefire with DRC.
Rwanda has slammed the US after Washington announced sanctions on its military for allegedly violating a peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a statement, the Rwandan government said the sanctions were "unjustly targeting only one party" and "misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict".
On its part, the DRC government expressed its "deep appreciation" of the United States, calling the sanctions "a clear signal of support" for the respect of its "sovereignty and territorial integrity".
The mineral-rich east of the DRC has seen decades of conflict, but violence flared last year when M23 rebel group, which the UN and US say is backed by Rwanda, made huge advances, capturing strategic mines and towns and displacing thousands of people. Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting the group.
US President Donald Trump, in December, brought together the leaders of Rwanda and the DRC to sign a peace deal, predicting a "great miracle".
But just days afterwards, the State Department noted, the M23 captured the key Congolese city of Uvira.
M23 advances
On Monday, the United States said it was imposing sanctions against the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four officers, including the army chief of staff, Vincent Nyakarundi, saying they were critical to M23 advances.
The sanctions will block any assets that the RDF or the four officers hold in the United States and criminalise any financial transactions with them.
"The continued backing from the RDF and its senior leadership has enabled M23 to capture DRC sovereign territory and continue these grave abuses," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Rwanda says it is only involved in the eastern DRC to help protect against an enemy militia formed from the remnants of those who committed the 1994 Rwandan genocide of the Tutsis, denying direct military involvement.
The December peace deal between Rwanda and DRC had been hailed by Trump as a way to secure critical minerals from the DRC.
Trump had earlier sounded positive about working with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, a veteran leader who has been willing to take in migrants deported from the United States, a top political goal for Trump.