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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Britain Rwanda DRC
HEADLINE: Western Donors Pressed to Sanction Rwanda as DRC Violence Escalates
TEASER: Critics say Britain is reluctant to denounce Rwanda for backing M23 rebels since the countries signed asylum-seeker deal in 2022
PUBLISHED AT: 3/17/23 at 10:30am
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, MAS, DJones
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Zoom, AFP, APTN, Reuters
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:31
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO)) [[The U.N. says in the past week, 100-thousand people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have fled their homes following fighting between M23 rebels and government forces. The UN accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, a claim Rwanda denies. As Henry Ridgwell reports, critics say European powers should pressure Rwanda to end the fighting.]]
((NARRATOR))
At least 600-thousand people have been forced to flee the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent months. Many are living in refugee camps like this one in Goma.
((Espoir Ndagije, Refugee (in Swahili) ))
“Coming here to Goma was the only option because the M23 rebels control all the other territories. Life is hard here. We need help.”
The M23 rebels claim they are defending ethnic Tutsis in eastern DRC — drawing on the long-standing tensions between Tutsis and Hutus that led to the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
A panel of United Nations experts released a report in late December that found widespread evidence that Rwanda was supporting the M23 rebels — and even sending its own troops over the border.
The DRC, along with the European Union and the United States, also blames Rwanda for supporting the insurgency. A U.N delegation visited the region this week.
((Modeste Mutinga Mutushayi, DRC Minister of Humanitarian Affairs (in French) ))
“We are all listening, hoping that clear instructions, clear messages, will be sent to Rwanda and to the M23 so that on the 31st [March] at the latest, our territory can be liberated.”
((NARRATOR))
Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 rebels — and accuses Kinshasa of supporting Hutu rebels. Congo suspects Rwanda is seeking control of the DRC’s rich mineral resources.
But there are other possible drivers of the conflict. In 2021, the DRC signed a series of trade deals with its neighbor Uganda. Analysts say Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame disapproved.
((Michela Wrong, Author and Journalist (in English) )) ((Zoom))
“Kagame didn't like it. He felt sidelined. He felt bypassed. He felt that he is the key player in the Great Lakes region, and he wasn't easy with the idea that these two neighbors were getting on so well — and that in future economic trade was going to be bypassing Rwanda.”
((NARRATOR))
French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to broker a cease-fire on a visit to the region this month. Congolese protesters demanded that he support sanctions against Rwanda.
((Emmanuel Macron, French President (in French) ))
“France has consistently condemned the M23 and all those who support it. And I am here to make sure that everyone takes responsibility, including Rwanda.”
((NARRATOR))
Britain, meanwhile, has not directly blamed Rwanda for backing the M23. Critics say the British government is reluctant to criticize its African ally after striking a deal last year with Rwanda to send asylum-seekers there for processing.
((Michela Wrong, Author and Journalist (in English) )) ((Zoom))
“So I'm afraid Britain is highly compromised on this issue, and it's not going to form part of a united donor front and that's what we need. We need the donors to come together and to send a really clear signal to Rwanda that this kind of behavior is having such massive consequences on the ground.”
((NARRATOR))
The British government did not respond directly to VOA requests for comment. Ministers have previously expressed concern about violence in the region and called on all parties to commit to peaceful dialogue.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMarch 17, 2023 10:40 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
