By Spy Uganda
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to begin talks to ease the tension over fighting in eastern Congo. Blinken, speaking in Rwanda Thursday, said he also raised human rights concerns and the detention of U.S. permanent resident Paul Rusesabagina.
Blinken said the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi, respectively, have agreed to open direct communications aimed at ending tensions in eastern Congo.
The two leaders have accused each other of supporting rebel groups in the chronically volatile region.
Blinken in his address warned that supporting and cooperating with armed groups will endanger local communities and threaten central Africa’s stability. He urged the two countries to be respectful of each other’s territory.
The Nairobi process was an initiative by the outgoing president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, that brought the heads of states of East African countries together to find lasting solutions to the disturbances in eastern Congo.
Blinken also addressed issues surrounding Rwanda’s detention of U.S. permanent resident Paul Rusesabagina, who is credited with saving hundreds of people during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and inspired the film “Hotel Rwanda.”
Blinken said he had expressed his candid views to Kagame and will continue to engage on the matter.
“We have been clear about our concerns related to Paul Rusesabagina’s trial and conviction, particularly the lack of fair trial guarantees,” Blinken said. “We continue to urge the government to address concerns about the legal protections afforded to him in his case and establish safeguards to prevent similar outcomes in the future.”
Rusesabagina was taken to Rwanda under false pretences in 2020 and sentenced to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges last year.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said Thursday the government has broken no laws.
Blinken emphasized the U.S. commitments to be equal partners with Rwanda in advancing shared priorities, tackling global challenges and bettering the condition of the country’s citizens.
