This follows a foreign ministers’ meeting held on Monday, where the ministers failed to agree on calls to impose immediate sanctions on Rwanda amid escalating tensions in eastern Congo.

Some European countries, notably Belgium, had been pushing for sanctions against Rwanda through diplomatic pressure over allegations that Rwanda is backing M23 rebels in their conflict with Congolese forces in the eastern region—claims the Rwandan government has repeatedly denied.

Following the meeting, the EU announced that it would not take the same approach as the United States, which recently imposed sanctions on Gen. (Rtd) James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation.

President Paul Kagame recently stated in an interview with French magazine Jeune Afrique that instability in eastern Congo stems from the DRC’s governance failures and the continued presence of the Rwandan genocidal militia, the FDLR, in eastern DRC.

The FDLR is a terrorist militia founded by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

With the continued threat of the FDLR attempting to invade Rwanda, the government has often defended its defensive measures along the border with Congo.

During the interview, President Kagame reiterated that Rwanda would prioritise its national security over the threat of sanctions.

"Countries like Belgium and Germany—former colonisers who contributed to the problem—threaten me with sanctions because I am defending my country. And they think they can intimidate us? Let’s be clear: if I must choose between facing an existential threat and dealing with sanctions, I will take up arms to confront the threat—regardless of the sanctions," he stated.

Kigali has maintained that a political solution, rather than military escalation, is the only viable path to resolving the conflict in the eastern Congo.

The ongoing regional peace talks are now under the mediation of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, following the recent merger of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

Later this week, a ministerial-level meeting will be held to review a report from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) military chiefs. The meeting is expected to establish a framework for political negotiations under the combined Nairobi-Luanda peace process.

During a foreign ministers’ meeting held on Monday, officials failed to agree on calls to impose immediate sanctions on Rwanda amid escalating tensions in eastern Congo.