Germany is not happy with Rwanda right now. They've decided to stop any new aid money headed Rwanda's way and are taking a hard look at the aid they already promised. Germany's beef with Rwanda is all about what's going down in the Democratic Republic of Congo next door.
The German government says they gave Rwanda a heads-up about the aid freeze. They want Rwanda to back off from supporting the M23 rebels who are stirring up trouble in eastern Congo. Congo, the UN, and Western countries are all pointing fingers at Rwanda, saying they're buddy-buddy with the rebels. Rwanda's not having it, though. They say they're just watching their own back against some nasty Hutu militias in Congo who want to slaughter Tutsis and make problems for Rwanda.
Rwanda's Foreign ministry is pretty ticked off about Germany's move. They're calling it "wrong and counterproductive." They fired back, saying countries like Germany have some historical baggage when it comes to causing drama in the region, so they should know better than to pick sides and throw their weight around.
Germany says they told Rwanda back in October 2022 that they'd send $98 million in aid to cover 2022 to 2024. Meanwhile, the M23 group has been snatching up land and precious minerals in eastern Congo since January. This latest flare-up is just another chapter in a long, messy conflict that goes back to Rwanda's 1994 genocide spilling over into Congo. At the end of the day, it's a tug-of-war over who gets their hands on Congo's crazy valuable natural resources.
The German government says they gave Rwanda a heads-up about the aid freeze. They want Rwanda to back off from supporting the M23 rebels who are stirring up trouble in eastern Congo. Congo, the UN, and Western countries are all pointing fingers at Rwanda, saying they're buddy-buddy with the rebels. Rwanda's not having it, though. They say they're just watching their own back against some nasty Hutu militias in Congo who want to slaughter Tutsis and make problems for Rwanda.
Rwanda's Foreign ministry is pretty ticked off about Germany's move. They're calling it "wrong and counterproductive." They fired back, saying countries like Germany have some historical baggage when it comes to causing drama in the region, so they should know better than to pick sides and throw their weight around.
Germany says they told Rwanda back in October 2022 that they'd send $98 million in aid to cover 2022 to 2024. Meanwhile, the M23 group has been snatching up land and precious minerals in eastern Congo since January. This latest flare-up is just another chapter in a long, messy conflict that goes back to Rwanda's 1994 genocide spilling over into Congo. At the end of the day, it's a tug-of-war over who gets their hands on Congo's crazy valuable natural resources.
